Baroness Manzila Uddin

Introduction 

Manzila Pola Uddin, Member of the House of Lords since 1998, Manzila Uddin is a pioneer, an ardent advocate of women’s rights. Her activism began with the Labour Movement. Subsequently becoming a Labour councillor. She led community organisations and campaigns for social justice & human rights with a tenacious zeal for advancing women’s economic emancipation.

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Amongst the many outstanding women led projects she developed include Britain’s first purpose built education and training centre for women, The Jaognari Centre.

In recognition of the significant work in community development and women’s rights, she was appointed by Her Majesty the Queen, as the first Muslim to take her seat in the House of Lords and the first Muslim women in British Parliament. During last two decades as a Parliamentarian, she has been a member of House of Lords Select Committee on European Affairs, chaired several Government Task Forces including, Prime Minister’s Task Force on Preventing Extremism, Women and Community Cohesion and leading the campaign for the eradication of Forced Marriage.

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As former chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Women Peace and Security and an outspoken campaigner for reparation and apologies, for the hundreds of thousands of women survivors, raped by the Army, during the liberation war of 1971 in Bangladesh. She also supports the Conscious Movement which campaigns against Rape in Conflicts. She is a vice of the Commonwealth All Party Parliamentary Group & the Honorary President of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Bangladesh. Professionally, managed social services teams, specialising on children, disability/Autism, Women led Projects, Drugs and Substance misuse. She has been a board member of Autism Speak, Advisor on the Global Guidance and Renewal Centre, Non-Executive Director of Carlton Television London and Patron of several NGOs. Currently leading Change the Script Campaign.