The International Community of Women living with HIV in Eastern Africa (ICWEA) joins the UN Women Family to mourn the passing of Susan Oredege, the Gender Based Violence Champion, the activist, the leader a friend and a woman of valor who made it her life’s goal to see that violence against women and girls is eliminated.

Everybody will describe Susan in their own way, in terms of how they knew her, experienced her and interacted with her. To ICWEA and the team that worked with her, she was a hard working woman, soft-spoken and yet spoke to power. Susan was hardworking and cared about all groups of women and in one meeting where she was leading, she was sure to make sure that everybody participated meaningfully and that no one was left behind by calling on even those that had no intention of saying a word.

“In Susan, we have lost a transformational leader. Susan’s passing again reminds us as that the women’s movement must hasten and scale up celebrating women and girls – they need to hear the voices of praises and appreciation”, says Lillian Mworeko, the Executive Director of ICWEA

Susan has run a good race and fought a good fight, what remains is for us to carry on the work that she started in her legacy.

Susan, rest well and peacefully.