After an outstanding application and interview, Dr Miriam Laker-Oketta has been selected by the International Women’s Forum (IWF) to be part of the 2020-2021 Fellows Program. She is the first fellow from East and Central Africa to be awarded.

Founded in 1974, IWF’s membership includes more than 7,000 diverse and accomplished women from 33 nations on six continents. Its mission is “to support the women leaders of today and tomorrow.” we are committed to advancing women’s leadership globally and locally. The IWF has been described as “highly influential.” Notable members have included Hillary Clinton and Coretta Scott King.

Dr Laker-Oketta’s application was so impressive she was also awarded a full scholarship for her program participation by the IWF Southern California Forum, The Trusteeship.

The Trusteeship is a founding member affiliate of the International Women’s Forum. Established in 1999, their Leadership & Education Fund for the Betterment of Women provides philanthropic support for exemplary women leaders like yourself.

The IWF maintains an International Hall of Fame and confers an annual “Women Who Make a Difference” award. Past awardees have included: Zanele Mbeki, founder of the Women’s Development Banking Trust and former First Lady of South Africa.

Miriam Laker-Oketta is a Medical doctor and Clinical Research Scientist at the Infectious Diseases Institute, Makerere University with advanced training in Epidemiology and Biostatistics. Her current research focus is HIV-associated malignancies specifically Kaposi’s sarcoma and cervical cancer epidemiology, early detection, diagnosis, and treatment. She is also Faculty of the Clinical Epidemiology Program of the University of California San Francisco and Implementation Science Program at the School of Medicine, Makerere University College of Health Sciences. Dr.Laker is a co-founder of CARE360 which provides mentorship and coaching to teenagers and young adults. She is also a co-founder of the Hub for African Women in Science (AWiSH) which promotes STEM among girls and advocates for gender equity in science to enable female scientists to achieve their potential and be well represented in leadership.