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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Farai Shawn Matiashe in Harare

Zimbabwe’s only female heart surgeon on medicine, misogyny and making a difference

A black woman in scrubs standing next to a bed in a hospital room
Kudzai Kanyepi, the first and only Zimbabwean female cardiothoracic surgeon, at work at the trauma centre in Harare, Zimbabwe. Photograph: Cynthia R Matonhodze/The Guardian

When Dr Kudzai Kanyepi qualified as Zimbabwe’s first female cardiothoracic surgeon four years ago, she was filled with pride and anticipation after succeeding in an area long dominated by men. She was only the 12th woman in Africa to qualify in the field – four more have joined her since.

Even now, with 100 operations under her belt, the reality of working in a role in which she confronts misogyny and discrimination daily has not dented Kanyepi’s love of the surgical theatre.

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