Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka Listed Among Africa's Most Impactful
100 Change Makers 2023
Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, a distinguished South African
politician and former high-ranking United Nations official, has been recognized
among Africa's Most Impactful 100 Change Makers of 2023. Notably, she served as
the Executive Director of UN Women, holding the esteemed rank of
Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations.
Appointed to this pivotal role by UN Secretary-General Ban
Ki-moon on July 10, 2013, Mlambo-Ngcuka undertook significant initiatives to
promote gender equality and empower women globally. Her tenure saw the launch
of the ground-breaking HeForShe campaign, a collaborative effort with Publicis
and Ogilvy, aimed at engaging men in the fight for gender equality.
Moreover, Mlambo-Ngcuka played a pivotal role in welcoming
the Elsie Initiative in November 2017, designed to enhance women's involvement
in peacekeeping operations, alongside fellow UN Under-Secretary-General Pramila
Patten.
Beyond her UN Women leadership, Mlambo-Ngcuka contributed
substantially to gender-focused development efforts, serving on the World Bank
Group's Advisory Council on Gender and Development from 2015 to 2017. She
further demonstrated her commitment by co-chairing the United Nations Task
Force on Digital Financing of Sustainable Development Goals.
Recognized for her outstanding contributions, Mlambo-Ngcuka
received the Cannes LionHeart Award in 2019 for her impactful work with UN
Women and the Unstereotype Alliance. Her legacy includes mobilizing an
impressive $40 billion in financial commitments from various stakeholders, and forming
the Generational Equality movement to drive transformative change for women and
girls worldwide.
Mlambo-Ngcuka's departure from UN Women in August 2021
marked the culmination of two remarkable terms, leaving behind a lasting legacy
of advocacy and tangible progress towards gender equality.
