EVERDAY HEROES

From a woman speaking out against state violence to a journalist killed in Gaza, here are some of the brave people who made a real difference in 2025

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The Ugandan presidential candidate who stood up to sexism

The world will be watching Uganda next month as the country goes to the polls. Will president Yoweri Museveni lose his grip on power after four decades? One thing is certain: it won't be a woman who unseats the octogenarian incumbent because all eight candidates on the ballot are men. Politics remains a boys' club and women are not welcome.

Yvonne Mpambara had firsthand experience when she ran as a presidential candidate for the 2026 election. She was one of just three women who gained enough support to be considered for nomination - none made it on to the final ballot.

As a young lawyer from a civil society background Mpambara knew her chances of success were slim but she did not anticipate the level of sexist abuse and objectification that she would face. Men either accused her of sleeping with politicians to get to the top, or propositioned her themselves.

Mpambara, 33, described the experience as “one of the most disrespectful periods of my life”. Depressingly, her article detailing the harassment unleashed more abuse.

Yet she refuses to let the abuse derail her. She may not have made the ballot this time but she is fighting back by setting up a foundation that will nurture future female leaders. She is also in the process of establishing an all-female political party.

Mpambara epitomises the notion that gender equality is never a given, it is always fought for. I have no doubt that she is now a role model for many girls and young women who followed her as she offered a new political vision for Uganda, and a future in which women are given the same opportunities and respect as men. Isabel Choat