Joyce Banda

Malawian president who championed LGBTQ+ rights in a conservative African nation

Dr. Joyce Banda became Malawi's first female president in 2012 after her predecessor's death, making her Africa's second elected female head of state. She defied cultural norms by advocating for LGBTQ+ rights in a region where 32 countries criminalize homosexuality. Her government removed sodomy laws from the draft constitution and established Malawi's first LGBTQ+ advisory council.

She founded the Grace Banda Foundation to empower women and girls, and launched the 'Women's Empowerment Forum' across 10 African countries. Despite facing impeachment attempts and death threats, she remains a global advocate for intersectional feminism, speaking at the UN General Assembly in 2013. Her memoir 'Being President, Becoming Woman' details her struggles for gender equality in Africa.