Celebrating Women Transforming Uganda’s Tourism and Conservation Industry

Every year, the world celebrates International Women’s Day, a moment to recognize the achievements and leadership of women across every sector. In Uganda’s tourism and conservation fraternity, women have increasingly become the driving force behind wildlife protection, destination marketing, research, and community conservation.

Uganda’s identity as the Pearl of Africa is built on its incredible biodiversity the Mountain Gorillas, wetlands that shelter rare birds, and national parks rich with wildlife. Protecting these treasures and sharing them with the world requires leadership, resilience, and vision. Many women have stepped forward to carry this responsibility.

From government leadership to grassroots conservation, and from birding tourism to international environmental advocacy, women continue to shape the future of tourism and conservation in Uganda and beyond.

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Women Steering Uganda’s Tourism Leadership

Doreen Katusiime

As the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, Doreen Katusiime plays a critical role in shaping Uganda’s tourism and conservation policy framework.

Her leadership ensures that the ministry continues to strengthen partnerships between government, conservation agencies, and private tourism stakeholders. Through strategic planning and policy coordination, she has helped position tourism as a key pillar of Uganda’s economic development.

Her work ensures that conservation remains central to the country’s tourism growth strategy.

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Juliana Kagwa

As the Chief Executive Officer of the Uganda Tourism Board, Juliana Kagwa leads the country’s destination marketing efforts. With a strong background in corporate leadership and brand strategy, she is tasked with strengthening Uganda’s global tourism brand and expanding international partnerships.

Her role is particularly significant as global travelers increasingly seek nature-based experiences, an area where Uganda excels with its Gorilla trekking, birding tourism, and wildlife safaris.

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Lilly Ajarova

Before the current leadership, Lilly Ajarova served as CEO of the Uganda Tourism Board and played a significant role in strengthening Uganda’s tourism brand globally.

She championed the Explore Uganda – The Pearl of Africa campaign, which elevated Uganda’s global visibility as a destination for primate tourism, birdwatching, and wildlife experiences. Earlier in her career, she was instrumental in the development of the Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary, one of Uganda’s most successful conservation tourism projects.

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Women Leading Birding and Community Conservation

Judith Mirembe

Popularly known as the Shoebill Chic, Judith Mirembe is one of Uganda’s most influential birding conservationists. She is a co-founder of the Uganda Women Birders Club, an initiative designed to empower women to become bird guides and conservation advocates. Through her initiative Shoebill Watch Uganda, she works with local communities around wetlands to protect the habitat of the iconic Shoebill, one of Africa’s most sought-after bird species.

Her efforts have helped inspire many young women to enter Uganda’s growing birding tourism sector.

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Global Women Who Inspired Conservation

Jane Goodall

Few conservationists have influenced the world as profoundly as Jane Goodall. Her pioneering research on chimpanzees revolutionized the scientific understanding of primates and highlighted the need for wildlife protection.

Through the Jane Goodall Institute, her work inspired community-based conservation approaches that are now widely practiced across Africa. Her legacy continues to inspire conservationists working to protect primates and forests across the continent.

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Dian Fossey

Dian Fossey’s work with Mountain Gorilla in the Virunga mountains transformed global awareness about Gorilla conservation. At a time when Gorillas were critically threatened by poaching and habitat destruction, her research and activism helped mobilize international conservation efforts.

Today, Mountain Gorilla tourism in places like Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and across the Virunga landscape exists partly because of the global attention she helped create.

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Wangari Maathai

The late Wangari Maathai, founder of the Green Belt Movement, became the first African woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. Her movement mobilized rural women to plant millions of trees across Kenya to combat deforestation and environmental degradation.

Her work demonstrated the powerful link between environmental conservation, women’s empowerment, and sustainable development across Africa.

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Daphne Sheldrick

Daphne Sheldrick was one of the world’s most respected elephant conservationists and the founder of the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust.

Her pioneering methods for raising orphaned elephants revolutionized elephant conservation and helped save countless animals affected by poaching and human-wildlife conflict. Her legacy continues through one of Africa’s most successful wildlife rescue and rehabilitation programs.

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Dr Paula Kahumbu

Paula Kahumbu is one of Africa’s most influential modern conservation voices.
As CEO of WildlifeDirect, she has been a powerful advocate for wildlife protection, anti-poaching efforts, and conservation awareness across Africa.

Through media campaigns, documentaries, and policy advocacy, she has helped elevate wildlife conservation to the national and international agenda.

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The Unsung Women Protecting Uganda’s Wildlife

Beyond the well-known leaders, hundreds of women quietly sustain Uganda’s tourism and conservation industry every day.

These include:

• Female wildlife rangers protecting national parks
• Bird guides leading international birding expeditions
• Community conservation leaders protecting wetlands and forests
• Researchers and conservation educators training the next generation
• Hospitality professionals delivering world-class tourism experiences

Their dedication forms the foundation upon which Uganda’s tourism success stands.

Looking Ahead

The future of tourism and conservation in Uganda depends on strong leadership, inclusive participation, and sustainable practices. Women are increasingly at the center of this transformation. From protecting wetlands that shelter the Shoebill to safeguarding forests that host endangered Gorillas, women are helping ensure that Uganda’s natural heritage remains intact for generations to come.

As we celebrate International Women’s Day, the tourism and conservation fraternity salutes every woman who has chosen the path of protecting nature while building livelihoods through tourism.

Their work reminds us of one important truth:
When women lead conservation, both nature and communities thrive.