Luisa Dias Diogo
Luísa Dias Diogo (born April 11, 1958) has been prime minister of Mozambique from February 2004 until January 2010. She was the first female prime minister of Mozambique.
Education
Diogo received her Bachelor’s degree from Maputo’s Eduardo Mondlane University, and her Master’s degree in Financial Economics from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London (1992)
Political career
In 1980, she began working in Mozambique’s Finance Ministry, becoming the department head in 1986 and the national budget director in 1989. After completing her Masters in 1992, she worked for the World Bank a programme officer in Mozambique.
From 1994 to 2000, Diogo was the Deputy Minister of Finance & Planning. As Deputy Finance Minister in the FRELIMO (the party in power since independence in 1975) government, she was a key player in drafting the first five-year development plan with a focus on promoting peace within Mozambique’s borders. In 1999, Ms. Diogo was promoted to Minister of Finance, where she focused on Poverty in Focus: Gender Equality and economic growth, and secured numerous grants from international finance institutions. In July 2004, Ms. Diogo officially launched an HIV/AIDS/AIDS Emergency Programme, focused on educating citizens about AIDS prevention, providing income for people and infected with HIV/AIDS, and giving assistance to people living with AIDS.
Policies for women
As Prime Minister, Diogo has focused on gender equality and women’s empowerment. Diogo has urged the African health ministers to offer Reproductive Category:Health services free of charge throughout the continent. She launched “Network of Women Ministers and Parliamentarians” (MUNIPA). The MUNIPA network aims to strengthen advocacy and lobbying activities so that policies and legislation are adopted favourable to gender equity and women’s empowerment.
Distinctions and international recognition
In the January 2004 issue of The Banker, she was named Finance Minister of the Year for Africa. She was also distinguished by Times Magazine as one of the world’s 100 most influential personalities in 2004, as well as one of the world’s 100 most powerful women by Forbes 100 most powerful women in 2004 and 2005.
Diogo is a member of the Council of Women World Leaders , an international network of current and former women presidents and prime ministers whose mission is to mobilize the highest-level women leaders globally for collective action on issues of critical importance to women and equitable development.
References
- UN (2006), “Luísa Dias Diogo (Co-Chair), Prime Minister, Mozambique”
- United Nations Foundation, “Luísa Dias Diogo”