Anne-Beatrice Kihara

Anne-Beatrice Kihara is a Kenyan physician and professor who is President of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics. She has dedicated her career to improving the physical health of women across Africa.

Early life and education
Kihara grew up in Kenya. She became interested in medicine whilst helping her father, Dickson Kihara Nyaga, who was a public health officer. She was a medical student at the University of Nairobi, where she had an unplanned pregnancy. At the age of twenty one she was forced to repeat the year, and eventually had to complete her medical degree as a single mother. After completing her medical degree, she worked as a gynaecologist in Nairobi. She established maternity facilities and a village hospital. She worked to empower local young women by providing them access to work.

Research and career
In 2013, Kihara was made president of the Kenya Obstetrical and Gynaecological Society. She worked to prevent maternal and child deaths and to eliminate the parent-to-child transmission of sexually transmitted infections, including syphilis and HIV. In 2020, she was made President of the African Federation of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

In 2023, Kihara became the President of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics. She was their first president from Sub-Saharan Africa. She worked to promote women's leadership and involvement in policymaking as well as how to improve access to contraception and health information. She has said that she will focus on transforming the experiences of young women who suffer from child marriages and female genital mutilation. She has promoted the adoption of the Maputo Protocol, which promotes gender equality and gender rights.