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Mary Consolata Namagambe, founder of She for She, works to empower girls and women to take control of their menstrual health and education. Many girls are unable to attend school due to their menstrual cycles and a lack of personal hygiene products often leads to bullying and stigmatization of women. By creating their own organization that empowers women to manufacture and sell reusable pads, Mary is not only finding a solution for these young women, but also the women around the world who are able to create their own businesses using the skills she has taught them. As a young girl, Mary noticed the injustices prevalent in both her Ugandan society and Danish society and knew that it was something she was passionate to change.
“I believe this experience allowed me to rethink and break through the stereotypes and prejudices I had about many topics and learn to be more empathetic toward others their ideas. I left the Fellowship alongside 19 emerging leaders who I now call my friends.”
Mary was drawn to the Humanity in Action Fellowship because of its emphasis on creating a dialogue between a diverse group of students hoping to study human and minority rights. Mary recalls, “I was eager to be a part of an educational non-profit that focuses on histories and contemporary issues of diversity and minority rights. I applied for this fellowship as it promised academic rigor, called for action and connected students to a network of inspiring senior fellows. The fellowship would not only allow me to study human rights globally, but it would provide me with resources and tools that would allow me to be an agent of change in my own community. Furthermore, the network of senior fellows would bring collaborations across disciplines as a means to solve the world’s most complex issues.”
For her Action Project, Mary organized a BlackLivesMatter protest in Copenhagen to show solidarity and support for the protestors in the United States. Furthermore, the protest served to spread awareness on the issue of discrimination and police brutality within Danish society. Since her Fellowship, Mary has completed a Master’s Degree in Law at the University of Southern Denmark and founded another organization, UVU- Foreigner Guides Foreigner, to provide guidance for newcomers to Denmark on the educational system as well as on civil society. Mary selected a diverse group of tour guides from different backgrounds in order to support and inspire the newcomers.
“A world where we are all seen and heard, regardless of how much melanin you have and which gender you have. We all deserve to be seen and heard, isn’t that living?”
Mary believes that the Humanity in Action Fellowship has “changed the trajectory of my entire life in so many positives ways – I am more confident, I have greater clarity into what I want to achieve in my professional life, and I feel more equipped to push harder towards my greatest dreams!” Mary has also published many articles and blog posts hoping to expose injustices within society, as well as guiding a presentation on minority identity in a Danish secondary school, on behalf of Humanity in Action.
Check out Mary’s publications: