Vimbai Kapurura is a gender equality, climate action, and peacebuilding leader and the Founder and Executive Director of Women Unlimited Eswatini, an organisation advancing women’s empowerment, youth leadership, sustainable development, and social justice. Through her leadership, she has developed innovative initiatives addressing gender-based violence prevention, sexual harassment in higher education, climate resilience, and women-led economic opportunities.
With a master’s degree in international relations and extensive experience in advocacy, partnerships, and programme leadership, Vimbai works with government institutions, UN agencies, development partners, and communities to create inclusive solutions to complex social challenges. She serves as Eswatini country chair for the G100 Mentoring & Motivation Wing and vice chairperson of the Coordinating Assembly of NGOs in Eswatini (CANGO).
Her work reflects a commitment to building stronger communities where women and young people are empowered to lead meaningful change.
Leadership is not about being the loudest voice in the room, it’s about creating the conditions where more voices can be heard, valued, and transformed into action.
Your work spans gender equality, climate action and peacebuilding — three causes that don’t always share a stage. How did your journey bring them together?
My leadership journey has been shaped by a deep belief that lasting change happens when communities are empowered to become part of the solution. I founded Women Unlimited Eswatini with a vision of creating spaces where women, girls, and young people can overcome barriers, find their voices, and lead change.
Over the years, my journey has evolved from grassroots advocacy into building partnerships and influencing broader conversations around gender equality, climate action, peacebuilding, and sustainable development. I have had the privilege of working alongside government institutions, development partners, civil society organisations, and communities to design solutions that respond to real challenges.
Serving in leadership roles such as Eswatini Country Chair for the G100 Mentoring & Motivation Wing and Vice Chairperson of CANGO has strengthened my commitment to collaborative leadership. I continue to champion inclusive approaches that inspire others to lead and create meaningful impact.
Women Unlimited Eswatini touches everything from GBV prevention to climate resilience. What impact are you proudest of on the ground?
Through my leadership, I have contributed to creating platforms and programmes that advance gender equality, youth empowerment, climate action, and community resilience in Eswatini. Through Women Unlimited Eswatini, I have led initiatives that strengthen women’s leadership, prevent gender-based violence, and equip young people to become advocates for safer and more inclusive communities.
One of our key achievements has been the Litsemba Rising initiative, a student-led programme addressing sexual harassment prevention in higher education by empowering young people as champions of change. I have also championed conversations linking climate change, waste management, and women’s economic empowerment, promoting solutions that create both environmental and social impact.
Beyond organisational programmes, my leadership has enabled collaboration between civil society, government, development partners, and communities, helping to amplify voices that are often excluded from decision-making spaces. My greatest impact has been building bridges that turn ideas into collective action and sustainable change.
What’s the achievement that best captures how far the organisation has come?
My greatest achievement to date has been building Women Unlimited Eswatini from a vision into a recognised platform for advancing gender equality, climate action, peacebuilding, and sustainable development. When I founded the organisation, my goal was to create an institution that does not only respond to challenges but empowers communities to lead their own transformation.
Over the years, we have built impactful partnerships with government institutions, international organisations, development partners, and communities but also to implement initiatives that address critical issues affecting women, girls, and young people. Seeing young people become advocates for safer campuses, women gain opportunities to participate in economic and environmental solutions, and communities engage in conversations that challenge harmful norms has been deeply rewarding.
Beyond programmes and partnerships, my greatest achievement has been creating a movement that demonstrates the power of collaborative leadership, proving that meaningful change is possible when diverse voices come together with a shared purpose.
What makes your approach to leadership distinct?
What makes my leadership impact meaningful is my commitment to seeing challenges not as isolated issues, but as interconnected realities that require holistic solutions. I believe that gender equality cannot be separated from climate resilience, economic opportunity, peace, and community wellbeing. My leadership approach has therefore focused on building bridges between sectors, institutions, and communities to create solutions that are both inclusive and sustainable.
Through Women Unlimited Eswatini, I have worked to move conversations beyond awareness towards action, creating platforms where women, young people, and communities are not only beneficiaries of change but active contributors to shaping it.
What makes my journey unique is the combination of purpose-driven advocacy, partnership-building, and practical solutions. I seek to lead with both conviction and humility, understanding that lasting transformation is not created by one person but by empowering many others to become leaders in their own spaces.
What would you tell the next generation of women stepping into leadership?
My advice to future women leaders is to resist the pressure to simply occupy spaces and instead focus on transforming them. Leadership is not only about being the person at the table; it is about changing the conversation at that table and ensuring that others who come after you find the door open.
Do not underestimate the power of authenticity, wisdom, and quiet consistency. The world does not only need women who rise; it needs women who, as they rise, consciously build ladders for others. True leadership is not measured by how many people know your name but by how many lives are stronger because of your presence. The future needs women leaders who do not only seek a seat at the table but also help redesign the table so that everyone has a place.
