Mariam Tendou Kamara is a social entrepreneur and UN expert of Guinean origin, born in Liberia to a Guinean father and a Congolese mother. After studying pharmacy in the United States and gaining a decade of professional experience in public health, she returned to Guinea in 2006 to dedicate herself to social development and the empowerment of African women.
Her diverse professional journey has led her to serve as a ministerial advisor in Guinea, Director of Communications for UN Women in West and Central Africa (2010–2015), and founder of several initiatives, including WAFRICA (Women of Africa) and the MadameDigital-Inter'Actes platform. A committed Afro-feminist, she has been the Managing Director of the communication agency BAANTOU since 2015 and has received multiple distinctions, including the WEF 2017 award. She actively works for the socio-economic inclusion of women and youth in Africa, combining expertise in strategic communication, institutional advocacy, and social entrepreneurship.
Introduction
Mariam Tendou Kamara is a Guinean social entrepreneur, committed feminist, and international expert who has dedicated her career to empowering African women and girls. Born in Liberia to a Guinean father and Congolese mother, her journey illustrates the commitment of a woman determined to create positive impact for women across the African continent.
Education and Early Career
After obtaining her baccalaureate in economics at Pascal School in Paris's 16th arrondissement, Mariam continued her studies in the United States. There, she earned a degree in pharmacy from Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts.
Her career began in public health, where she spent a decade as a professional. In 1996, she became chief pharmacist for Walgreens Co., then worked in 2002 for the AIDS Healthcare Foundation in the San Francisco area, specializing in HIV/AIDS care.
Career Shift and Commitment to Africa
In 2006, Mariam Tendou Kamara made a decisive turn by returning to Guinea. She began a professional transition that led her toward institutional advocacy, socio-economic inclusion of women and youth, and strategic communication.
From 2008 to 2009, she was appointed by presidential decree as a cabinet advisor to the Ministry of Youth Employment Promotion in the Souaré government. Simultaneously, she became the executive director of Women of Africa (WAFRICA) in Guinea, an organization she co-founded.
International Career
Mariam's career took on an international dimension in 2010 when she was recruited in Dakar by UN Women. Until 2015, she directed the communication and resource mobilization portfolio for West and Central Africa, covering more than 24 countries.
In this role, she accompanied two UN Women executive directors during official missions across Africa and coordinated major global campaigns such as HeForShe and "Orange the World" from 2010 to 2021. Her expertise also led her to cover several summits of African heads of state and ministerial meetings at the African Union.
Entrepreneurship and Activism
In 2015, Mariam became the general director of the communication agency BAANTOU. In 2016, she founded the MadameDigital-Inter'Actes platform to promote women entrepreneurs from French-speaking West Africa, followed by the Elles'Coaching support platforms.
A committed Afro-feminist, she has been a member of the African Feminist Forum since 2008 and is featured in the book "Voice, Power & Soul" among 79 African feminist activists. In 2019, she co-founded the Women's Reflection and Influence Group (GRIF) in Guinea, a think tank working for inclusion and equality.
Recognition and Distinctions
Her commitment has earned her several distinctions, including the 2017 WEF Award for "Iconic Women Leaders Creating a Better World for All" in New Delhi, the Golden Feminia in 2022, which places her among the 100 most dynamic women in Guinea and West Africa, and the Katala224 Excellence Award in the manager category that same year.
Through her journey, Mariam Tendou Kamara embodies the voice of an African woman determined to advance gender equality and build bridges between communication technologies and social development on the African continent.
