Justina Mutale empowers African women and girls through education, leadership training, mentorship, and advocacy for global gender equality.
Justina Mutale has spent over 30 years working to dismantle the barriers that silence African women, building one of the continent’s most transformative platforms for education, leadership, and equality. Born in Zambia, her professional path began in diplomacy and development, including a decade at the Commonwealth Secretariat in London, where she specialised in gender equality and gender mainstreaming among member states.
Witnessing the disconnect between policy and practical impact, she realised that meaningful change requires more than just boardroom discussions. This insight propelled her to extend her advocacy beyond institutional settings, directly engaging with the communities where the roots of inequality lie.
In 2016, she founded the Justina Mutale Foundation, a social impact organisation that provides leadership and entrepreneurship training, mentorship, and scholarships for girls from rural and disadvantaged communities across Africa. The Foundation’s mission aligns with both the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the African Union’s Agenda 2063, with a clear focus on transforming young African women into global leaders.
Through strategic partnerships with institutions like the European School of Economics, Rai University in India, and universities in New Zealand and Zambia, the Foundation enables academically gifted but underprivileged women to access higher education abroad.
That same year, the Foundation awarded scholarships to 25 Zambian girls, including boxing champion Catherine Phiri, to pursue their studies. It has since expanded its reach, launching the $10 million Presidential STEM Fellows Program – an ambitious initiative to support unemployed and underemployed African graduates pursuing master’s degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The Foundation is also directly tackling the gaps that limit Africa’s innovation and development capacity by investing in STEM education.
Also, in rural Zambia, the Foundation adopted a community school where it began rebuilding classrooms, installing solar power, digging boreholes, and planning a health centre. The project now serves over 6,000 residents, improving access to education, water, and healthcare.
Mutale’s influence extends beyond education into health and global advocacy. She founded Positive Runway, a global campaign that fights HIV/AIDS through youth engagement, contributing to efforts aimed at achieving an AIDS-free generation. She has represented women’s causes at the UN Commission on the Status of Women, chaired panels at African Union summits, and currently serves on prominent global boards, including the Women’s Economic Forum. Additionally, she organises the annual World Summit on Women and Girls, which connects African women leaders and youth with mentorship and global networks.
Her efforts have earned her numerous accolades, including African Woman of the Year (2012), Africa’s Best Female Philanthropist (2018), and recognition as one of the 100 Most Influential African Women. She holds several honorary doctorates and is the author of “The Art of Iconic Leadership.”
Currently, as she leads initiatives such as the Entrepreneurship Panel at Africa Week UK 2025, Justina Mutale remains motivated by a simple belief: that equality should not be fought for in the streets, but achieved through knowledge, confidence, and leadership. Her life’s work is focused on ensuring that future generations of African women do not have to ask for a seat at the table because they will already own it.
