Marie Lwanda

Ugandan feminist leader who pioneered women's rights movements across East Africa through grassroots organizing

Marie Lwanda (1935-2011) was a groundbreaking activist from Uganda whose work in women's rights and economic empowerment transformed gender dynamics in East Africa. Beginning in the 1960s, she organized the East African Women's Liberation League, which became a regional force advocating for land rights, education access, and political representation. Her innovative 'Women's Savings Circles' model provided financial independence to over 20,000 women by 1980.

Lwanda's 1975 report Breaking the Chains of Silence exposed systemic gender violence and inspired regional policy changes. She trained hundreds of women leaders through her Lwanda Leadership Institute, many of whom became MPs and judges. Her concept of 'Ubuntu Feminism' emphasized collective community transformation, influencing modern African feminist movements. The UN Women Marie Lwanda Award continues to honor her legacy.