Neema Namadamu is an advocate for peace and a women's rights and disability rights activist in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).[1] She founded the Maman Shujaa Media Center to empower women and give them voices to tell their stories.
Namadamu was born in the High Plains of ItombweinSouth Kivu Province.[2] When she was two, she contracted polio and became physically disabled because of the disease.[3] Because of this, her father decided to take a second wife because in the DRC, disabled children are "often regarded as a curse."[2] She recalls that as a child, she did not have crutches, so her mother, Polline Nyirambarato, carried her on her back to school when road conditions were poor.[2] Namadamu started promoting awareness for people with disabilities when she was in high school and had her own radio show.[4] Later, when she went to college, she became the first woman with disability from her tribe to graduate from university in DRC.[5]
After she graduated, she was chosen as a Deputy to represent South Kivu Province in the National Assembly.[5] After serving in Parliament, she became the Technical Advisor for the DRC Minister of Gender and Family.[5]
When Namadamu's daughter was twenty-five, she was attacked by members of the Congolese National Army and beaten.[6] Namadamu recalls that she "felt a strong desire for violent revenge," however, she chose to break the cycle of revenge and instead of fighting individuals, "We are fighting the system," she said.[7] Namadamu founded the Maman Shujaa Media Center which works in connection with World Pulse, a global women's empowerment network.[8] The organization is located in Bukavu, where she is able to provide digital literacy education for women.[6] Maman Shujaa means "Hero Women" and the project is designed not only to educate women, but to give them a platform to share their stories with the world.[7] Each woman learns to become a "digital activist" in the DRC.[8] Her work shows "the resilience and importance of women in Congo who live in an environment that is violently oppressive to women."[9]
In November 2023, Namadamu was named to the BBC's 100 Women list.[10]
