Zainab Bangura leads the UN Office at Nairobi, advancing governance, peace, gender justice, and accountability.
Zainab Hawa Bangura, born in 1959 in Yonibana, a rural town in Sierra Leone’s Northern Province, is a figure whose life epitomises resilience, conviction, and an unyielding commitment to justice. Her upbringing as the daughter of an imam and a market woman deeply influenced her perspective, instilling in her strong community values and an appreciation for women’s contributions to the economy. Thanks to scholarships, she was able to pursue her education, ultimately earning a degree in Political Science and History from Fourah Bay College in Freetown.
Zainab Bangura initially pursued a career in business, quickly rising to become vice president of a major Sierra Leonean insurance company by her early thirties. However, the national crisis of the 1990s, marked by military rule, a brutal civil war, widespread corruption, and the breakdown of democratic governance, compelled her to leave the private sector and become an activist.
In 1994, she established Women Organised for a Morally Enlightened Nation (W.O.M.E.N.), Sierra Leone’s first non-partisan women’s rights organisation. This group mobilised women from all social strata to advocate for peace, democracy, and accountability. The following year, she co-founded the Campaign for Good Governance (CGG), which was instrumental in pressuring the military regime to permit elections. These efforts were pivotal in Sierra Leone holding its first democratic elections in 1996, after a quarter-century without free voting. Throughout the war, Bangura courageously condemned abuses by both rebel and government forces, surviving threats to her life due to her unwavering commitment to speaking out.
Zainab Bangura transitioned from activism to politics, making history in 2002 as one of the first Sierra Leonean women to run for president. That same year, she founded the National Accountability Group, dedicated to combating corruption and promoting transparency.
Her government career began in 2007, when she became Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the second woman in the nation to hold this position. From 2010 to 2012, as Minister of Health and Sanitation, she implemented healthcare reforms, reproductive health initiatives, sanitation projects, and economic empowerment programs, including micro-credit schemes for women traders.
Bangura’s leadership extended globally. In 2006, she served as Director of the Civil Affairs Office of the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), overseeing the reconstruction of ministries following Liberia’s civil war. In 2012, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appointed her as the Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, with the rank of Under-Secretary-General. For five years, she led international efforts to address sexual violence in war zones, developing protocols for investigation and prosecution, negotiating accountability frameworks with militaries, and confronting abuses by extremist groups. Her work fundamentally shifted the perception of sexual violence from an issue of pity to a deliberate weapon of war demanding justice.
Since 2018, she has served as Director-General of the United Nations Office at Nairobi, one of the UN’s largest duty stations. She also co-chaired the Independent Commission on Sexual Misconduct at Oxfam and, from 2016 to 2020, chaired the World Movement for Democracy’s Steering Committee.
Over three decades, Zainab Bangura has built a reputation as a fearless activist, politician, and international leader. She helped restore democracy to Sierra Leone, challenged corruption, expanded women’s political participation, and gave voice to victims of wartime sexual violence on the global stage.
Since 2018, she has served as the Director-General of the United Nations Office at Nairobi, one of the UN’s largest duty stations. She also co-chaired the Independent Commission on Sexual Misconduct at Oxfam and, from 2016 to 2020, chaired the World Movement for Democracy’s Steering Committee.
Zainab Bangura has dedicated over thirty years to becoming a fearless activist, politician, and international leader. Her work includes helping to restore democracy in Sierra Leone, fighting corruption, increasing women’s political involvement, and advocating globally for victims of wartime sexual violence.
