Meet Naumy Mbareeba

Naumy Mbareeba is the fourth Executive Director of Women’s Organization Network for Human Rights Advocacy (WONETHA), which was led and founded by sex workers in 2008 to address discrimination in health care systems and social stigma as well as advocate against punitive and restrictive legislation and policies that encourage violations of sex workers’ rights in Uganda. Naumy is a female sex worker, and a women’s human rights defender (WHRD).

Naumy started her activism work in 2014 with an agenda of promoting, protecting, and defending the rights of fellow sex workers in Uganda. Naumy puts tireless efforts in combating gender-based violence (GBV), promoting access to friendly health care, building peace in the community, promoting sexual reproductive health rights, and fighting for women’s economic empowerment in Uganda. Naumy has supported over 500 female sex workers by following up cases of arrest and GBV death cases due to violence to foster victims’ access to justice.

Naumy has engaged with police officers, district officials, members of Parliament and line ministries, over violations and discrimination against sex workers amidst an unfriendly environment where sex work and sex workers are criminalized. 

Naumy Mbareeba from Women’s Organization Network for Human Rights Advocacy (WONETHA) together with Florence Masuliya from Tusitukirewamu will develop a peer learning project in benefit of their CSOs’ staff, volunteers, and board members. The CSOs will participate in training sessions in peacebuilding and conflict resolution, mental health, and digital security, and conduct on-site visits to learn from each other’s accountability and governance processes. Both CSOs will also connect with relevant organizations, such as the International Community of Women living with HIV Eastern Africa (ICWEA) to improve learning on handling sexual reproductive health violations.