The Executive Director of Oxfam International and wife of former presidential aspirant Rtd. Col. Dr. Kizza Besigye, Eng. Winnie Byanyima, has been named among 20 top drivers of conversations on social media platform LinkedIn in the whole world for the year 2018.
On a list that features, among others, Melinda Gates, the wife of Billionaire Bill Gates, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Richard Branson, the Founder of Virgin Group, Ms. Byanyima was recognized for driving the conversation on the economic related inequality issues.
“Byanyima examines gender- and economic-related inequality issues globally — and with a deeply personal purpose,” says Richard Roth, LinkedIn editor in chief.
“She was inspired by her parents and neighbors who “met every week under a tree in my mother’s garden to share and learn from each other how to lift themselves from poverty, keep their girls in school and resist the culture of early marriage,” Winnie Byanyima is quoted as telling LinkedIn.
“So, from childhood, I have known that poverty and women’s subordination are two sides of the same problem,” she adds.
She is commended for the way she handled the allegations of sexual misconduct by Oxfam staff in Haiti.
“Byanyima took to LinkedIn to express her sorrow as well as the steps the organization is taking to ensure that doesn’t happen again. Members engaged directly with her, asking questions and weighing in with how they think such actions may create change. ‘Glad to see it’s being addressed — publicly — not hidden behind closed doors,’ replied one member,” says Roth.
Ms. Byanyima, who is the wife of Uganda’s opposition lynchpin Dr. Kizza Besigye, is also hailed for building an economy that works for women as a founding member of the Gender Equality Advisory Council, where she helped outline a set of concrete solutions to start closing the economic gap many women face internationally.
In response, Ms. Byanyima said she was humbled by the recognition.
“To be included in the #LinkedInTopVoices is truly an honor. Thank you LinkedIn – thank you to all the hard-working people who make this platform tick! – and thank you to all those who are members of this platform who I get to exchange with,” she wrote.
” On LinkedIn, I raise the voices of millions of women who live in poverty to the rest of the world. LinkedIn helps me to connect and exchange with so many people in a meaningful way that we don’t always find on other platforms – people who ultimately can help end poverty and discrimination against women,” she added.
She said: “This struggle is not just for activists and aid workers. It’s a struggle for young people, professionals, entrepreneurs, development thinkers, workers, farmers … all engage in the global economy and can do something to make it work for the majority, not just for a tiny few at the top. The struggle to end poverty and achieve equality of women and men is one I know we can win.”