Investing in women and girls is increasingly heralded as a keystone strategy for women’s economic empowerment, broader development and economic growth.
The University of Manchester on Wednesday 19 October awarded an honorary degree to its alumna, the Executive Director of Oxfam International, Winnie Byanyima, as part of the Foundation Day celebrations.
Winnie has a BSc in Aeronautical Engineering from Manchester and returned to the campus earlier this year to launch the University’s Global Development Institute, Europe’s largest research and teaching institute dedicated to international development.
The Ugandan-born aeronautical engineer, politician, and diplomat as reported, used the occasion of the ceremony to give a Foundation Lecture entitled ‘Advancing Women’s Rights in an Unequal World: A personal perspective’, in which she outlined some of the experiences of her unique career in politics and international development.
Winnie further used this lecture to express her believe that advancing women’s rights and gender equality is not only a desirable goal, but a cornerstone of any successful sustainable development framework.
Before her appointment to Oxfam International, an international confederation of charitable organizations focused on the alleviation of global poverty, Byanyima, who is wife to lead opposition figure Kizza Besigye was in 2004 director of the Directorate of Women, Gender and Development at the headquarters of the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
She served in that capacity until she was appointed as director of the Gender Team in the Bureau for Development Policy at UNDP in November 2006.
She also served two consecutive terms as a member of parliament, representing Mbarara Municipality from 1994 until 2004.
One recent Uganda Demographic Health Survey (UDHS 2011) indicated that women have limited authority when it comes to decision-making in areas of education, reproductive health care and protection and legal rights.
Joining Oxfam International in May 2013 was an opportunity for Winnie to increasingly advance new policies and programmes aimed at women empowerment. She has helped support women’s participation in political transitions in several African countries that include Ethiopia, Rwanda, South Africa, Burundi, Sudan and others emerging from conflict.
Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University, said: “I am delighted that at this year’s Foundation Day celebrations we welcomed back an alumna, Ms Winnie Byanyima, to deliver our most prestigious lecture and to award her an honorary doctorate, Manchester.ac.uk reports.
“Winnie’s drive to promote the roles of women and work to address global inequalities fully align with the University’s own activities.” Professor Dame emphasized.
With her team at Oxfam, they believe that poverty and powerlessness are avoidable and can be eliminated by human action and political will.
They believe that peace and substantial arms reduction are essential conditions for development and that inequalities can be significantly reduced both between rich and poor nations and within nations.
“It’s a great honour that my alma mater recognises the work that I have done – but it’s very much an honour for the African women that I have worked with and with whom we have struggled, won rights and changed our communities and our countries. For Manchester to keep sharing knowledge and giving opportunities to young people from developing countries is just amazing – I am so proud to be an alumna!.” She stated upon being rewarded.
More: The University of Manchester interviews Winnie Byanyima.
marvin@ugchristiannews.com
