By Umaru Fofana
Sierra Leone’s former foreign affairs minister, Zainab Bangura has been awarded an honorary Doctorate of Law degree by the prestigious Syracuse University in New York.
This is the fifth such degree awarded to Mrs Bangura who also served as health minister before her appointment by the former United Nations Secretary General as his Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict.
The latest by Syracuse was awarded to her in 2018 but she was unwell at the time of the conferment which was done on Sunday 12 May 2019.
“I feel humbled by this honour which is because of my work in advancing the understanding of the crimes of sexual violence against women and children during conflict, which has been a corner stone to the indictments against perpetrators in national and international courts,” the 59-year-old told Politico.
In 2014 she received her first honorary Doctor of Law degree from Ursini University in Pennyslavia, which was followed in 2015 by Oxford Brookes University in the U.K.
In the same year Aberdeen University also in the UK honored her with another, before Florida Atlantic University followed suit in 2017.
In all of the Universities she was invited to give a public lecture and interact with students, faculty members and the University leadership.
Here is what Syracuse University cites about her: “Bangura is a relentless advocate for conflict resolution and reconciliation and the protection of men and women who face sexual violence during war and conflict. She is an internationally recognised diplomat and champion for democratisation, the political empowerment of women and human rights. Her bravery has led her to confront the powerful, give hope to the powerless and make the international community take notice."
Mrs Bangura had been a social activist for many years before entering politics. From a humble background in Yonibana in the north of the country, she was one of the founding members of Campaign for Good Governance, one of Sierra Leone’s leading civil society organisations.
She is the only Sierra Leonean woman to have risen to the rank of UN Assistant Secretary General – alongside Prof Davidson Nicol, Dr James Jonah, Dr Kandeh Yumkella, Abdul Koroma and Kingston Papie Rhodes all men.
© 2019 Politico Online
