#PowerWithPurpose

From Uganda's first female aeronautics engineer to Oxfam's first African Executive Director, Winnie is a trailblazer — relentless advocating for peace, equality and democratic governance.

A teenage refugee, Winnie escaped Idi Amin's regime in 1976, but later returned to Uganda to fight against government oppression as a part of the National Resistance Army during the Ugandan Bush War.

After the NRA won that war, Byanyima served in Parliament where she was a signatory to the 1985 peace agreement.

She went on to pursue civil rights at the African Union Commission, as director of gender and development at UNDP, and as chair to a U.N. task force on gender aspects of the Millennium Development Goals.

Meet the other #PowerWithPurpose honorees: powerwithpurpose.devex.com