Danai Daisy Chirau

Danai Daisy Chirawu is a Human Rights Lawyer, Law Lecturer, and Feminist consultant with a strong background in legal practice, policy advocacy, and gender justice. A registered legal practitioner, conveyancer, and notary public under the Law Society of Zimbabwe, she currently lectures at the University of Zimbabwe, where she develops and teaches courses on human rights, feminist legal theory, and social justice strategies. Nominated as Courtroom Mail 100 Most Influential Women Lawyers in Africa 2025. Danai has extensive experience in governance, legal reform, and feminist movement building.

She has served in leadership and advisory roles, including as Legal Advisor for Womandla (2025-2029), Legal and Human Resource Board Member for Flames and Lillies Climate
Initiative (2025-2026), Feminist Solidarity Lead at the Association for Women’s Rights in Development (AWID) (2024-2025), and Global Advisory Board Member of The Presidential Precinct (2021-2025). She holds a Masters in Human Rights, Policy and Practice from the University of Gothenburg, University of Deusto, University of Roehampton and the Artctic University of Norway as a recipient of the Erasmus Mundus Scholarship; a Bachelor of Laws
(with honours) from the University of Zimbabwe and a fellow of Development Alternative for
Women for a New Era (DAWN) DTI Fellowship (2021 – 2023), AMEL Institute, AMEL Regional Track, Training on Human Rights, Gender Equity, Activist Safety & Selfcare,
Genocide Prevention, Nonviolent Movements, Peace & Conflict, and Communication for Activism (2024) and the YALI Mandela Washington Fellowship – The Presidential Precinct
(2018). An advocate for girls education in Africa; Danai stands as an ambassador for the AU CIEFFA’s #AfricaEducatesHerCampaign where she is leveraging her expertise to promote corporate social responsibility in private businesses for the promotion of education within Zimbabwe.

Throughout her career, she has contributed to strategic litigation, feminist research, and policy
development on issues including corruption, decolonising education, sexual and reproductive rights, gender-based violence, and decolonial African feminisms. Her advocacy has been instrumental in shaping legal frameworks, including the enactment of Zimbabwe’s Marriages Act
and the Criminal Laws Amendment (Protection of Children and Young Persons) Act, 2024.

Danai is a published legal and academic writer, a sought-after public speaker, and an expert in monitoring and evaluation. She is passionate about the realisation of women’s full humanity and
human dignity and thrives to build pan-African and decolonial solutions to development

• Position:Legal Council