Margaret Mensah-Williams

Honourable
Margaret Mensah-Williams
MP
Margaret Mensah-Williams, October 2017.jpg
Margaret Mensah-Williams in 2017
Chairperson of the National Council
Assumed office
8 December 2015
Preceded by Asser Kuveri Kapere
Chairperson of the National Council
In office
1999 – 8 December 2015
Regional Councillor for the Khomasdal Constituency
Assumed office
1993
Preceded by Karel Persendt
Former President of the IPU Women
Personal details
Born Margaret Natalie Mensah
(1961-12-25) 25 December 1961
Mariental, Namibia
Nationality Namibian
Political party

SWAPO

Member of the Swapo Party Politburo

Member of the Swapo Party Central Committee
Residence Windhoek
Alma mater Eastern and Southern African Management Institute
Occupation Teacher
Profession Politician
Committees Chairperson of the National Council Standing Committee on Women Caucus
Website www.parliament.na

Margaret Natalie Mensah-Williams (born 25 December 1961) is a Namibian politician and the current Chairperson of the National Council (Upper House of the Namibian Parliament).[1] She is a member of the ruling Swapo Party and the current Regional Councillor for the Khomasdal Constituency in Windhoek.


Political career

Mensah-Williams ventured into politics during her time as a student at the University of Cape Town where she was involved in organising protest marches against the Apartheid regime both in her native Namibia and in South Africa. After university, her began her career as a teacher and later on worked in civil society. She became the first woman to be elected to a decision-making position when she was elected as the Vice-Chairperson (Deputy Speaker) of the National Council in 1999. Mensah-Williams has served the as a member of the National Council since 1998 to date.

She is currently a member of both the Politburo and of the Central Committee of the Swapo Paty. Until March 2018,[2] Mensah-Williams served for two consecutive terms as member of the Inter-Parliamentary Union Executive Committee and served the same body for as the President of the IPU Bureau of Women Parliamentarians for two terms. Furthermore, she was elected as the Vice-Chairperson of the IPU Working Group on Syria during the 137th IPU Assembly in Russia.

Education

Mensah-Williams holds a Master of Business Administration,[3] a Diploma in Management & Leadership,[4] from the Eastern and Southern African Management Institute in (1993), a Diploma in Negotiation Skills, Institute of Management and Leadership Training, Windhoek in (1992). Diploma in Housing & Community Development, University of Cape Town (1985). Teaching Diploma, Dower College, South Africa in (1983). School education at Keetmanshoop.

References

  1. ↑ "Leadership Development & Training | Leadership Trust". Worldlyleadership.org. Retrieved 2016-12-28.
  2. ↑ "National Assembly upsets National Council | Namibian Sun". 2015-05-18. Archived from the original on 2015-05-18. Retrieved 2018-01-08.
  3. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-07-02. Retrieved 2012-11-15.
  4. ↑ "NID - Namibia Institute For Democracy". 2011-06-11. Archived from the original on 2011-06-11. Retrieved 2018-01-08.
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