Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda (Zimbabwe) is a distinguished international development and human rights leader, currently serving as UN Assistant Secretary-General and UN Women Deputy Executive Director for Normative Support, UN System Coordination, and Programme Results. With over 35 years of experience, she has focused on women’s empowerment, gender equality, and the rights of women and children, shaped in part by her personal upbringing in resource-poor and conflict-affected communities. She previously founded and led the Rozaria Memorial Trust, advancing education, health, and entrepreneurship for rural women and girls in Zimbabwe, and served as the first African Union Goodwill Ambassador on Ending Child Marriage, contributing to continental frameworks such as the AU Convention on Violence against Women and Girls. Gumbonzvanda has held senior leadership roles including General Secretary of the World YWCA, Regional Director for UNIFEM in East and Horn of Africa, and senior positions with UNICEF in Liberia and Zimbabwe. She holds advanced legal and conflict transformation qualifications, including a Doctor of Laws (Honoris Causa) from the University of Massachusetts, a Master of Laws from the University of South Africa, and a Bachelor of Laws (Honors) from the University of Zimbabwe, establishing her as a globally respected advocate for human rights and inclusive development.