Neema Namadamu

May 8

HERO WOMEN RISING | DRC

Neema Namadamu is a visionary leader and activist committed to improving the lives and opportunities of women and girls in the Democratic Republic of Congo through self-empowerment and education initiatives.

A survivor of polio, Neema walks with a disability but does not consider herself disabled. She was only the second woman from her ethnic tribe to earn a university degree, later serving in Parliament for South Kivu province and as Chief Advisor to the DRC’s Minister of Gender and Family. In 2012, she founded Hero Women Rising, an organization focused on empowering women and girls to shape their own futures and uplift their communities.

Neema’s groundbreaking work has earned recognition from international organizations including World Pulse, Women Thrive Worldwide, the BBC, the Nobel Women’s Initiative, the Obama Foundation, and WECAN. Her efforts center on amplifying the voices of Congolese women and girls and providing them with the tools to lead and thrive.

Hero Women Rising is dedicated to one mission: to lift, build, and elevate women—helping them understand their worth, develop their potential, and follow a path aligned with their unique gifts and purpose. Through transformative programs, the organization supports women in discovering and embracing who they were created to be—for themselves, their families, and their communities.