Meet Leylah Uwesu: A Young Leader Transforming HIV Awareness and Empowering Girls Across Tanzania

In Tanzania, where adolescent girls and young women face some of the highest risks of HIV, one young leader is helping rewrite the story. Leylah Uwesu, a passionate advocate, belongs to a new generation of changemakers determined to transform the way their peers access knowledge and support.

Growing up in Dar es Salaam as the daughter of a medical doctor, Uwesu says she was raised to value the importance of care, empathy and accurate information from an early age – and it was these values that would later define her work.

“As I grew older, I began to see how many girls around me were navigating life without accurate information about HIV and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR). As I learned more about my community, I realized these challenges reflected a much broader reality across Tanzania,” says Uwesu.

Women’s HIV story in tanzania and how one young woman is trying to tackle it

Women in Tanzania continue to bear a disproportionate burden of HIV, where according to the most recent Tanzania HIV Impact Survey women have higher prevalence rates of 5.9%, compared to 3.0% among men. Persistent gender inequalities, harmful social norms, Gender Based Violence (GBV), stigma and discrimination, as well as limited access to education and employment all contribute to new infections and restrict access to prevention and treatment services.

“I witnessed these barriers first-hand,” says Uwesu, “with young girls afraid to ask questions, shame silencing important conversations, and widespread misinformation shaping critical decisions.”

These experiences pushed her to volunteer with a local organisation conducting school outreach on HIV and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) education, and sparking conversations that many students had never dared to have.

In 2025, when she joined the Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) Leadership Programme, supported by UN Women and PEPFAR.

Promoting Adolescent Girls and Young Women’s Leadership in the HIV Response

Held at the UN Women Headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya, the AGYW Leadership Programme forms part of a regional initiative in Tanzania, Kenya and Zimbabwe aimed at strengthening the leadership capacity of young women in the HIV response.

Through the training, several young women gained updated knowledge on HIV, youth-friendly communication techniques and the confidence to address myths and complex questions. The programme also connected them with a regional network of DREAMS Ambassadors, HER Voice Advocates and members of the African Women Leaders Network (AWLN) Youth Caucus.

For Uwesu, the experience transformed not only what she knew, but who she believed she could become: “I gained updated knowledge on HIV, SRHR and communication, and I learned how to address myths and sensitive questions with confidence. It helped me become the leader I always hoped to be.”

From Local Awareness to National Impact

Since completing the programme, Uwesu has reached more than 1,000 young people through school outreach, community sessions and youth-led campaigns.

Uwesu has also expanded her engagement into national decision‑making spaces, where she became an active member of the Multi-Sectoral Country Platform (MCP), a national mechanism for advocacy on reproductive health, HIV, and socio-economic development.

Whether leading school sessions, coordinating youth activities, or lending her perspective to critical national processes, Uwesu is creating safe and empowering spaces for adolescent girls.

“For me, this journey is proof that with the right support, young women can ignite real change,” she says.

A Vision for the Future

For Uwesu, the programme marked a profound shift in how she saw her role as a young leader. As she explains: “UN Women’s training didn’t just teach me, it validated my voice. It opened doors, strengthened my leadership, and showed me that one young person can spark real change. I am determined to keep going.”

In the coming years, Uwesu plans to expand her advocacy, strengthen partnerships and develop sustainable initiatives that equip young people with accurate health information. With a strong commitment to mentoring girls, promoting youth engagement and contributing to national discussions on HIV and SRHR, she envisions a Tanzania where young people are informed, and where stigma is replaced with knowledge and opportunity.

As the world continues to commemorate World AIDS Day, her message is clear: “Invest in young women’s leadership, because when girls are informed, they are protected. And when they are included in decision-making, communities transform.”