Katherine Fleming International Development Award

Since 2000, Coady Institute has presented the Katherine Fleming International Development award to African women leaders taking part in Coady Institute educational programs. The reimagined award now brings 25+ African women together for the Katherine Fleming Women’s Leadership course held in an African country. These women are using their learning experience to further social change in their own organizations and communities.

Made possible through the generosity of donors, the award honours Katherine (Katie) Fleming a graduate from St. Francis Xavier University (1985) who died in Tanzania in May 1999 while working for United Nations Children’s Fund. Recipients are recognized each year during St. Francis Xavier Homecoming Celebrations.

“I would like to thank the individuals and institutions that made this training possible… your resources, kindness, and generosity [is] not in vain. By enabling a few of us to participate, you have planted a seed.”

Dr. Joyce Bazira

Tanzania, 2025 Katherine Fleming Leadership Course for Women Leaders

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Award Recipient News and Events:

Alumni Voice – Advocating for Women’s Inclusion in COVID-19 Response (Ghana)

Alumni Voice – Advocating for Women’s Inclusion in COVID-19 Response (Ghana)

As a national women’s rights network, NETRIGHT has issued two statements calling on the government to ensure COVID-19 interventions are responsive to the needs of the poor, including homeless women and the vulnerable in society. Also, NETRIGHT mobilised funds among women groups which has been donated to the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP) in Ghana to support its efforts in reaching out to vulnerable and homeless women and children.

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Alumni Voice – Channels for Children’s and Youth’s Voice in Mombasa’s COVID-19 Response (Kenya)

Alumni Voice – Channels for Children’s and Youth’s Voice in Mombasa’s COVID-19 Response (Kenya)

In Mombasa, Kenya, organizations have decided to work together to address various children’s issues in the advent of COVID-19. The Mombasa County Child Rights Network (MCRN) is composed of organizations working for and with children. As a network we are focusing on child protection as a major governance issue, and are enabling children to participate, speak out, and create messages on COVID-19 to the world.

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“Everyone admired Kate for her consistent good mood. She was always on top of her game, always cheerful and willing to help colleagues, whether it was with understanding a situation or planning action. I only have great memories of her.”

– Arleen Seed, Regional ICT Officer, UNICEF Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office (ESARO) 1990-1993

“Kate was very young, 32 years old. Yet she was able secure a place at the policy table while engaging on substantive issues always with a smile. It was a joy watching her moving through the corridors and getting the job done…. Kate was ahead of her time. She left us way too early but she will never be forgotten.”

– Louis-Georges Arsenault, Deputy Representative, UNICEF Western Africa Regional Office Mali,1995-1998

“Kate was an exceptionally talented young woman. From the moment I met her, I was deeply impressed by her extraordinary intelligence and her high level of competence. She was an unusually clear thinker and also a very capable writer. I was not only impressed by her talents, including being a Rhodes scholar and an Olympic swimmer, but I also strongly admired the depth and commitment she demonstrated in her personal relationships, particularly in her marriage to John Zutt, and her devotion as a mother.”

– Tessa Wardlaw, UNICEF Headquarters New York, Chief, Data and Analytics Section 1993-1995