Dr. Zahara Nampewo is a prominent Ugandan human rights lawyer, academic, and gender justice advocate with over two decades of experience in legal education, public interest litigation, and social justice. She currently serves as the Deputy Principal at the School of Law, Makerere University, and has been the Treasurer on the Board of DefendDefenders since 2019. Widely regarded as a thought leader across Africa, Dr. Nampewo is known for her expertise in academia, gender equality, access to justice, and governance.

Reflecting on DefendDefenders’ journey, she shares: “It is amazing how DefendDefenders has grown, emerging from a seemingly small but original idea of working with HRDs at a conference in 2005. I see the growth not only through the numbers of staff and programmes but also the geographical areas of operation, as well as the numbers of people in need that have been, and continue to be, reached. This journey, as I observe it through the different spaces that I share with DD, is unbelievably phenomenal!”

Dr. Zahara Nampewo was born and raised in a devout Muslim family in Kampala, where she began her academic journey at Kitante Primary School. One memory that remains vivid from her early childhood dates back to Primary three, during an Eid celebration in 1984. As was her family’s tradition, she stayed home to attend prayers at the Kibuli Mosque, an occasion she fondly describes as their version of Christmas. After prayers, the family would typically go out for a treat before returning home to share a special lunch. However, at the time, Eid was not recognised as a public holiday, and school continued as usual. When she returned to school, she was punished for her absence, an experience she recalls as deeply unfair and formative in shaping her early awareness of exclusion and injustice.

In the secondary school she later attended, Dr. Zahara Nampewo found a more inclusive environment that was respectful of her Muslim faith, with the administration making necessary accommodations. When it came time to choose her path for university, she opted to pursue law, drawn by her strong performance and interest in the arts particularly in reading, writing, and critical analysis. “I was naturally good at reading large volumes of books and writing,” she recalls a skillset that would later define her future in law and academia.

Dr. Zahara Nampewo graduated with distinction from Makerere University School of Law in 1998, earning a place among the top of her class. As was customary for outstanding students, she was offered the opportunity to teach. She did briefly, however, proceeded to enrol at the Law Development Centre (LDC), where she completed her Diploma in Legal Practice in 1999. That same year, she began working formally with the Foundation for Human Rights Initiative (FHRI), a pivotal step in her growing commitment to human rights advocacy.

Her decision to focus her career on human rights was shaped by early exposure during a transformative internship in her second year of law school. Through a programme coordinated by the Human Rights and Peace Centre (HURIPEC) then led by Professor Joe Oloka-Onyango, a figure she deeply admired she was selected as one of a small group of students trained on human rights issues before being placed at different organisations. Zahara was placed at FHRI for a few months, where her hands-on experience with legal aid, prison visits, and grassroots rights work left a lasting impression. “That programme really prompted my human rights journey,” she recalls. It was the first time I went to a prison.”

After her third year, she returned to FHRI not as an intern, but as a volunteer. In 1999, she transitioned into formal employment at FHRI, working with the Legal Aid Bureau. This role exposed her to the harsh realities many Ugandans face in their quest for justice. One encounter that stayed with her was when a woman came seeking help for her child’s medical needs after the father failed to provide support. “She undressed the child, and the child had been burnt,” Zahara remembers. “You want to tell her you don’t have to but she’s already done it, and then you go back home and this stays with you.” These emotionally intense cases left her frequently questioning: “What can I really do?”

Yet, it was this deeply human connection to the work that anchored her passion. “You’re not just doing a job you feel like you’re making a difference in people’s lives,” she says. “The walk-in clients, people in the prisons… FHRI allowed me experience so many things.” She also contributed to shadow reports on torture, attended the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights in Banjul. During a visit to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, she realised how few African voices were present in those spaces. “We got in touch with the Uganda mission. The diplomatic attaché told us, ‘I’m happy you’re here you can help focus on the human rights issues,’” she recalls, observing how stretched thin African representation was in international fora.

By 2000, equipped with hands-on experience, growing networks, and a strong sense of purpose, she felt ready to deepen her academic grounding. She enrolled for a master’s in human Rights. This next step built on the practical foundation laid by her early years at FHRI and solidified her path as both a practitioner and scholar of human rights.

In 2000, Zahara earned a master’s degree in human rights law in the UK, followed by a diploma in advanced human rights from Finland in 2001. She rejoined FHRI, eventually rising to Head of Technical and Advisory Services. Her desire to diversify her professional experiences led her to part-time teaching at Makerere University in 2003 while managing a project on conflict in Northern Uganda at HURIPEC.

From 2004 to 2008, she led the Legal Aid Basket Fund at Danida’s Human Rights and Good Governance Office, overseeing strategic litigation that culminated in landmark judgments. “The Law and Advocacy for Women in Uganda case on the Succession and Divorce Acts is one I still teach in my gender class,” she notes with pride. These cases catalysed significant reforms in Uganda’s laws on women’s rights.

In 2008, she accepted a role as Gender Justice Advisor with the UN Mission in Liberia. “I don’t know what I expected it was ad hoc,” she reflects. “But being away from my young daughter was the hardest part.” After six months, she returned to Uganda.

Back in Uganda, she resumed teaching full-time at Makerere. By 2010, she secured a Fulbright scholarship and began her PhD at Emory University, focusing on women’s rights, particularly the role of marriage and family in shaping women’s sexuality. Her research highlighted the limitations of legal reform alone in dismantling patriarchal norms: “There is still a lot society needs to do to free women. And economic empowerment is key.”

Her leadership as Director of HURIPEC from 2014 to 2022 solidified her influence in academia and public policy. She coordinated field research, led institutional advocacy, and served as Chief Editor of the Human Rights and Peace Centre Journal. She was instrumental in shaping discourse on contested bills such as the Anti-Homosexuality Bill and Sexual Offences Bill and pushed for meaningful civic engagement and legal literacy through community-based legal aid clinics.

Dr. Zahara Nampewo remains deeply committed to mentoring the next generation. “Every time someone walks out of my office especially a girl I want to make sure I’ve said something positive to her,” she shares. For her, the goal is clear: “In everything you do, strive to change someone’s life and create a positive impact.” Her influence is both personal and systemic felt in courtrooms, classrooms, and community spaces alike.

She has published professional papers on a range of subjects, including sexuality, decentralisation, and access to justice. Dr. Zahara’s research is both theoretical and empirical, with a strong focus on the lived realities of marginalised groups particularly women underscoring her deliberate positioning as a gender activist in Uganda. Dr. Zahara’s academic contributions include co-authoring publications on women’s rights, sexual violence, and legal reform. A notable example is a book on marriage and divorce in Uganda, co-authored with three female colleagues from the School of Law, which critically examines how courts interpret and apply concepts such as physical, mental, and emotional cruelty in divorce proceedings. “As women in academia, we must support each other,” she affirms. “Collaborative research is how we lift one another.”

Looking ahead, Dr. Zahara Nampewo envisions a future where gender equality is firmly embedded at all levels of society from legal frameworks to community practices—and where both women and men recognise their shared responsibility in building a more just and equitable world. “It takes two fully functional wings for a bird to soar,” she reflects. “We all stand to benefit when everyone is included in the equation of gender equality.” She believes that meaningful progress will come when society moves beyond rhetoric to embrace collective action where every individual, regardless of gender, understands that empowering women strengthens us all. “I hope that every woman, at whatever level, gains the negotiating power and leverage to thrive,” she adds. “That is the vision I hold: a society where women are valued, heard, and empowered to shape their own futures.”