INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

Celebrating International Women’s Day 2023 – Theme: #EmbraceEquity

Celebration of the International Women’s Day can never go unnoticed without celebrating the achievements that have been made outstanding by these 10 most powerful and courageous womxn in embracing Equity and diversity in changing the today existence of women in Uganda today. These womxn have contributed a lot in fighting for equity, justice and inclusion of womxn in arenas of inclusion and empowerment. Rainbow Africa Initiative as an organization advocating for equal inclusion of rural queer feminists sex-workers youth, we celebrate them and their various achievements that have been showcased.

The visionary and resilience that they have exhibited has kept the womxn society grow and prosper to achieve what could have never been, though with them, there has breaking of barriers which have fit enough to #EmbraceEquity. This has been through advocacy for collectiveness and empowerment of women of all diversities without discrimination that has set momentum to see that they are no longer seen as objects for work but rather great and vital mantle for development.

CLASS OF 2023

Ms. Winnie has been passionate and longstanding champion of social justice and gender equality, she leads the United Nations’ efforts to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030. Recognized expert on women’s rights, she has fought tooth and nail to #EmbraceEquity among women through advocating for inclusion of women of all diversities that have enabled to raise voices of women in changing the world into a better place for everyone without discrimination.

She has won several awards through her efforts to champion for women’s rights. Through various departments, embracing equity has been her goal; showcasing her voice in fighting sex exploitation and harassment among students, challenging homosexuality theories, empowering and advancing the feminists Principles and movement in Africa. These among others have improved inclusion of women of all diversities in developing the society.

Through Caring Hearts Uganda which focuses on Girl child leadership empowerment, HIV/AIDS, Menstrual hygiene and girl child education where she teaches girls traditional values, malaria eradication, life-long education, personal development and entrepreneurial skills to promote sustainable development for the youths. She has donated infrastructure to schools for the internally displaced children and marginalized children in remote areas of Uganda. She has empowered the girl child to engage in social and health care development.

She advocates for equality and social justice with particular focus on sex workers, transgender and gender non-conforming communities. Her work has grown the grant making docket substantially, where she brings an activist and philanthropist perspective to improve the resource mobilization structures for the key populations. She has empowered transgender women through engagement in civic space building and leadership growth.

She has exhibited her legacy through fighting for equality and inclusion of sex workers in her capacities through being the Global Fund Coordinator to fundraise for resourcing of the sex worker movement in Uganda. She has improved the health and livelihood of sex workers through Lady Mermaid Empowerment Centre which provides HIV prevention, rebuilding civic spaces,  mental health and wellness for sex workers, among other beneficial projects. She lives to be celebrated.

As a founder and head of Her Internet which advocates for digital rights and internet freedoms of women focusing on LBQ (lesbians, bisexual and queer) womxn and female sex workers. She advocates for development and use of technologies that challenge sexism and discrimination on the bases of self-determination and as influenced by feminist principles and queer theory. Through her expertise as a digital security trainer and facilitator, she has empowered womxn through creating and providing safe spaces, rights-based training and advocacy through digital and in-person space-holding. She has strong organization and accountability among small team and a solid commitment to building connectively across digital feminist movements.

Justine has engaged in advocating for the rights of  key population through standing up for equity when it comes to access to justice in Uganda. She has stood up against homophobes and defied proposals against same sex relationships in Uganda. Having bold actions to fight for equality, she has exhibited her expertise to address theories against homosexuality through policy makers, stakeholders and other authorities under dialogues and sensitizations to promote equity towards human rights for key populations.

Alesi’s dedication to the HIV response is evidenced by her extensive leadership involvement in organizations created, by and for, people living with HIV. As the Team Leader of The Jacquelyne Ssozi Foundation whose mission is to provide a conducive environment for the vulnerable people especially Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) and children living with and affected by HIV including those with disabilities in our communities to live a better and healthy life. She has advocated for elimination of stigma and discrimination towards access to HIV care and treatment for the AGYW and other key populations. Her voice has empowered disclosure of people infected and affected by HIV which has helped to increase access to treatment and care.

As a founder of Trans Youth Initiative which strives to advocate, advance and ensure that rights rural transgender women, sex workers and gender diverse youth, are upheld, protected and promoted through amplifying their voices and access to justice, equitable access to friendly comprehensive gender affirming sexual and reproductive health care services, legal aid and furthermore work on legal gender recognition, policy and legal change, violence prevention, research and documentation of human rights violations, activism, safety and security, economic justice/empowerment, legal and human rights awareness, mental health and wellbeing, movement building as well as advocating against the punitive, restrictive policies and regulations that encourage violations of rural transgender youth women, sex workers and gender diverse youth rights. Through her passion, empowerment and development of rural Transwomen and gender diverse youth has been advanced.

Through her department of SRHR, which works to challenge negative societal attitudes and gender norms reinforced by the religious, community, and political leaders; policies and laws that ignore the needs and issues of certain groups of women, girls, and gender-expansive persons, criminalization of sexual and reproductive health such as access to safe abortion, and lack of funding for implementation of policies and laws, and contestations over Sexual Orientation Gender Identity and Expression remain barriers to the health and wellbeing of African women and girls in their diversities, she has collaborated with various community to ensure feminists movement building for all without stigma and discrimination. She has effortlessly engaged remote feminists entities which has helped bridge knowledge gaps thus promotion of the African feminists principles and advancing of the civic spaces for inclusivity.

^{HAPPY WOMXN’S DAY 2023 – #EmbraceEquity.}