HOUSTON EXCLUSIVE

Luísa Dias Diogo as Prime Minister of Mozambique
(source: www.clickafrique.com) Since she replaced Pascoal Mocumbi as the prime minister of Mozambique in 2004, Luisa Diogo’s stock had risen internationally. She made her mark as an anti-poverty and health advocate, waging a battle to stop the HIV/AIDS epidemic blighting her country, where 16% of its 20 million citizens have contracted the disease, costing the nation 1% of its GDP every year. She was recently awarded the 2008 Global Women's Leadership Award.

In August 2007, Diogo ranked 89th on the Forbes 100 Most Powerful Women List. Diogo lately has focused on gender equality and women's empowerment through a recently 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. Promoting equality between men and women is a central concern of the Mozambican government, which has been adopting instruments to promote women's empowerment at all levels [of government].

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.

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