Mandu Reid facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mandu Reid
Mandu Reid in Manchester on 30 September 2021. Photo by Carol Ann Whitehead.
Leader of the Women's Equality Party
In office April 2019 – 17 November 2024
Preceded by	Sophie Walker
Succeeded by	Office abolished
Personal details
Born	1981 (age 43–44) Malawi
Nationality	British
Political party	Women's Equality Party
Residence	London
Alma mater	London School of Economics
Occupation	Politician
Website	Women's Equality Party

Mandu Kate Reid (born 1981) is a Malawi-born British politician and activist who was the leader of Women's Equality Party (WEP) from April 2019 until its dissolution in November 2024.

Early life and education

Reid's mother is Black Malawi and her father is White British. Her parents met while her father was teaching English in Malawi, where Reid was born. The family moved to the United Kingdom in 1982, but subsequently lived in Somalia and Eswatini (also known as Swaziland), before returning to the UK, where Reid attended sixth form. Concerning her growing up in Eswatini, Reid said that being a mixed-race child led to awareness in childhood of injustice and prejudice.

While at school in England, Reid experienced racist abuse as the only black student in her school.

Reid is a graduate of the London School of Economics.

Career

After graduating from LSE, Reid worked at in project and programme management for HM Treasury, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Greater London Authority.

Reid founded The Cup Effect in 2015, a period poverty charity which campaigns donates menstrual cups to women and girls struggling with period poverty in the UK and East Africa.

Political career

Reid joined the Labour Party in 2010, but later moved to the Women's Equality Party (WEP) in 2018. As a member of WEP, Reid stood in the 2018 Lewisham East by-election, coming fifth and losing her deposit. Despite not being a parent at the time, Reid has supported equal parenting policies and flexible working as the party spokesperson on equal parenting since 2018. ..... In April 2019, Reid took over the interim leadership of WEP, and was confirmed as party leader in January 2020. She has been described as "the first black, bisexual leader of a political party in the UK". In response to the Black Lives Matter movement, and murder of George Floyd in the U.S., Reid wrote to prime minister Boris Johnson to express support for the movement. Under Reid's leadership, the Women's Equality Party released a statement which highlighted racial injustice in the UK.

Reid was the party's candidate for the 2021 London mayoral election, having replaced Sue Black, who had to withdraw for health reasons. She came tenth and lost her deposit.

Reid has written opinion articles for The Independent and The Huffington Post.