Dr. Lumayo Mildred Fedha is a Gender and Development scholar, social scientist, researcher, university lecturer and academic leader with extensive experience in higher education, research, postgraduate supervision, curriculum development, consultancy, mentorship and community engagement. She holds a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Gender and Development Studies from Kisii University, a Master of Arts in Gender and Development Studies from Moi University, a Master of Human Resource Management from Kisii University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Community Psychology from Makerere University. She also holds training in computer applications, pedagogy and ISO 9001:2015 internal auditing.

Dr. Fedha has 18 years of teaching experience in institutions of higher learning, with particular expertise in Gender and Development, Gender and Crime, Gender and Reproductive Health, Psychology of Criminal Behaviour, Social Work, Community Development, Family Studies and related social science disciplines. Her academic career has included positions of increasing responsibility at Kisii University and other institutions, where she has contributed to teaching, curriculum development, examination coordination, postgraduate administration, supervision, mentorship and academic quality assurance.

She currently serves as Chair of the Department of Sociology, Gender and Development Studies at Kisii University, a position she has held since January 2023. In this capacity, she coordinates departmental academic activities, teaching programmes, examinations and curriculum-related matters. Previously, she served as School Examination Coordinator and Departmental Postgraduate Coordinator, where she coordinated postgraduate defences, proposal and thesis examinations, supervision allocation and postgraduate academic processes.

Dr. Fedha's research interests span gender and development, gender relations and social transformation, reproductive health and sexuality, family and family planning, gender-based violence, child protection, women's empowerment, livelihoods, food security, culture and health, education, community development, conflict transformation and emerging development issues. Her doctoral research examined the gendered construction of family planning practices and male involvement in Kakamega County. Her research portfolio demonstrates a strong commitment to generating evidence that informs policy, practice and sustainable community development.

She has successfully attracted and participated in several research grants and funded research initiatives, including grants from Kisii University, the International Solidarity Foundation–Finland, CODE-Canada, Micro Research-Canada, the Association of Breast Surgery–United Kingdom and the Uongozi Institute in Tanzania. Her recent research has addressed areas such as artificial intelligence and data science literacy, inclusive education in fragile contexts, socio-cultural barriers to breast cancer treatment, breast health and screening, women's participation in climate-smart agriculture, livelihoods and community development.

Dr. Fedha is an active scholarly writer and peer-reviewed researcher, with numerous publications in international and regional journals. Her publications cover gender mainstreaming, women's political participation, family planning, gender-based violence, child protection, women's livelihoods, education, climate-smart agriculture, food security, conflict transformation, community development and social empowerment. She is also the author of the book Male Involvement in Gendered Construction of Family Planning Practices: Lessons from Kakamega County, Kenya, published by Utafiti Foundation in 2019.

Her contribution to postgraduate education is substantial. She has supervised PhD and Master's students to completion in areas including menstrual hygiene management, gender mainstreaming, women's participation in devolved governance, gender equity and decision-making, community-based child protection, fishing culture and sustainability, faith-based mediation and conflict transformation, sustainable livelihoods, affirmative action and women's socio-economic development, gender-based violence, microfinance and women's empowerment, juvenile delinquency, child protection and stakeholder management.

In addition to teaching and research, Dr. Fedha has undertaken academic and professional consultancy assignments for institutions and organisations including the Open University of Kenya, International Solidarity Foundation, Mogadishu University, Kisii Endelevu Trust Initiative, Kisii University School of Law, Kenya Water and Sanitation Civil Society Network and ActionAid Kenya. Her consultancy experience includes curriculum development, project evaluation, gender analysis, focused group discussions, WASH/WRM programming and girls' education.

Dr. Fedha is actively involved in professional and community service. She is a member of the Bioethics Society of Kenya, Forum for African Women Educationalists–Kenya and Utafiti Foundation. She has also served on institutional and community boards and committees, including the Kisii Teaching and Referral Hospital Ethics and Research Committee, school boards of management, university committees and student-related appeal processes.

She has further contributed to academic quality assurance as an internal examiner for more than 40 postgraduate theses and as a peer reviewer for scholarly journals. She regularly participates in conferences, workshops and professional development activities in research, quality assurance, bioethics, academic writing, productivity, national cohesion, research methodology and higher education.

Dr. Fedha's professional profile reflects a strong combination of academic leadership, gender scholarship, research expertise, postgraduate mentorship, curriculum development, community engagement and evidence-based development practice. Her work is particularly oriented toward advancing gender equality, social justice, inclusive development, women's empowerment, improved health and well-being, child protection and sustainable livelihoods in Kenya and beyond.

ORCID: 0000-0003-2331-0186
Google Scholar: Available under Dr. Lumayo Mildred Fedha