Dr. Chisina Kapungu

Dr. Chisina Kapungu is the Executive Director of WomenStrong International, a global organization dedicated to empowering women and girls by channeling resources and support to women-led organizations worldwide. 

With nearly two decades of leadership and experience, Chisina has worked alongside women and girls, as a program implementer, researcher, a clinical psychologist, and an advocate.  Her expertise spans the areas of sexual and reproductive health and HIV/AIDS. Chisina’s commitment to gender equity is drawn from lived experience, and a track record of championing women and girls. She has led maternal and child health projects in Ghana and Zimbabwe, served as a global health policy fellow in the U.S Senate, and worked as a gender specialist for the International Center for Research on Women. Chisina also served as assistant professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Illinois, where she serves as principal investigator of a National Institute of Mental Health research study.

Chisina is a published researcher whose work has explored HIV risk behaviors, the gendered drivers of poor adolescent mental health, female genital mutilation, and the transformative power of girls’ education. 

Growing up spending time with her family in Zimbabwe instilled a deep appreciation for the empowerment of women and girls, along with a passion for African art. Inspired by her father’s work with the United Nations in promoting peace and resolving conflicts, Chisina nurtured a strong commitment to gender equity within the broader scope of human rights and international development.