Winnie Byanyima facts for kids
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Quick facts for kids
Winnie Byanyima
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Byanyima in 2015
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| Born | 13 January 1959 Mbarara, Uganda
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| Nationality | Ugandan |
| Citizenship | Uganda |
| Alma mater | University of Manchester (Bachelor of Science in aeronautical engineering) Cranfield University (Master of Science in mechanical engineering) |
| Occupation | Engineer, politician, and diplomat |
| Years active | 1981–present |
| Political party | Forum for Democratic Change (since 2004) National Resistance Movement (until 2000) |
| Spouse(s) | Kizza Besigye |
Winifred Byanyima (born 13 January 1959) is a Ugandan engineer, politician, and human rights activist. She is also a diplomat. She currently leads UNAIDS, an important United Nations program. She started this role in November 2019.
Before that, from May 2013 to November 2019, she was the executive director of Oxfam International. Oxfam is a global group that works to end poverty. She also led the Gender Team at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) starting in 2006.
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Early Life and Education
Winnie Byanyima was born in Mbarara District in the Western Region of Uganda. At that time, Uganda was under British rule. Her parents were Boniface Byanyima and Gertrude Byanyima. Her father was a national chairman of a political party. Her mother was a schoolteacher.
Winnie went to Mount Saint Mary's College Namagunga for her schooling. She then studied at the University of Manchester. There, she earned a bachelor's degree in aeronautical engineering. This made her the first Ugandan woman to become an aeronautical engineer. Later, she got a master's degree in mechanical engineering from Cranfield University. She focused on saving energy during her master's studies.
Career Journey
After her engineering training, Byanyima worked as a flight engineer for Uganda Airlines. In 1981, a war started in Uganda. Winnie Byanyima left her job to join the fight. She fought alongside Yoweri Museveni, who later became Uganda's President. They had grown up together.
After the war ended in 1986, Byanyima became Uganda's ambassador to France. She served in this role from 1989 to 1994. After that, she returned to Uganda and became active in politics.
She helped write the 1995 Ugandan Constitution. She was also a member of parliament for Mbarara Municipality. She served two terms, from 1994 to 2004. Then, she became a director at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. She worked there until 2006. In November 2006, she joined the UNDP.
Leading Oxfam International (2013–2019)
In January 2013, Winnie Byanyima was chosen to be the next executive director of Oxfam International. She started this important role on May 1, 2013. In December 2017, she agreed to serve a second five-year term at Oxfam.
In January 2015, Byanyima helped lead the World Economic Forum in Davos. She used this event to push for action to reduce the gap between rich and poor people. Oxfam's research showed that the richest 1 percent of the world's population owned almost half of the world's wealth. The other 99 percent shared the remaining half.
In November 2016, the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon chose Byanyima for a special panel. This panel worked on making medicines more available to everyone.
Leading UNAIDS (Since 2019)
In August 2019, Winnie Byanyima was appointed as the executive director of UNAIDS. This appointment was made by the United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres. UNAIDS is a program that works to end the AIDS epidemic. In this role, she also serves as a United Nations Under-Secretary-General.
Besides her work at UNAIDS, Byanyima is also part of the World Bank Group’s Advisory Council on Gender and Development. Since 2022, she has been a member of the Commission for Universal Health. This group works to make sure everyone has access to healthcare.
At the 2024 International AIDS Conference in Munich, she asked Gilead Sciences to allow other companies to make cheaper versions of their HIV medicine, Lenacapavir. This would help people in low- and middle-income countries get the medicine more easily.
Other Important Roles
- Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, Member of the Board
- Equality Now, Member of the Advisory Board
- International Gender Champions (IGC), Member
Personal Life
On July 7, 1999, Winnie Byanyima married Kizza Besigye in Nsambya, Kampala. Kizza Besigye used to lead the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) political party in Uganda. They have one son named Anselm. Winnie Byanyima is also a member of the FDC. However, she has been less involved in Ugandan politics since she became a diplomat in 2004. She has five siblings: Edith, Anthony, Martha, Abraham, and Olivia.
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See also
In Spanish: Winnie Byanyima para niños
