(By Dr Naeem Ul Hassan)
Women Changing the World has appointed Amb. Dr Iris Mhlanga as one of its Regional and Global Ambassadors.
She is no stranger to the organisation. Amb. Dr Mhlanga won its Humanitarian Impact award, and later returned as a Judge, reading through the work of women from around the world and helping decide who would be recognised. Few people know these awards from both sides of the table. That experience is exactly what she now brings to the role.
The work behind the title
In 2018, Iris Mhlanga founded Nozizwe Mother of Nations Trust in Bulawayo, the city where she grew up. Eight years on, the Trust has reached more than 5,000 people in over five countries.
Much of that work is practical and unglamorous. At Sigola Primary School, the Trust is building classroom blocks and housing for staff. It also supports Makume Primary School in Mwenezi and Ndali Primary School in Chiredzi, where many of the learners are orphans. Through its partnership with Mustard Seed Communities, it has helped provide solar power, boreholes, kitchens, water tanks, food and clothing for up to 1,200 children.
The list goes on: meals for the homeless, solar systems for elderly people, poultry, goat and cattle projects for families trying to earn a living. Next, the Trust is preparing an outreach in Tanzania, supporting a home that cares for 52 children with special needs.
It is the kind of story Women Changing the World was set up to tell.
Why these awards matter
Women do a great deal of the work that holds communities together, and most of it goes unnoticed. A woman running a soup kitchen in Bulawayo or a school programme in rural Chiredzi rarely gets her name in the papers.
Sisters Peace Mitchell and Katy Garner started Women Changing the World to change that. Peace is a keynote speaker, TEDx presenter and author; Katy is an entrepreneur and author. Between them, they have built an international platform that recognises women’s achievements and connects them with one another, so that a humanitarian from Zimbabwe can share a stage with leaders, entrepreneurs and advocates from every continent.
The movement is also closely tied to Dr Tererai Trent, the Zimbabwean scholar and humanitarian whom Oprah Winfrey once called her all-time favourite guest. Dr Trent grew up in rural Zimbabwe and went on to found Tererai Trent International, which supports 14 rural schools in the country. Her own life shows what the awards are really about: what becomes possible when a woman is given the chance to pursue her dream.
Winning is not the end of the story. Recognition brings visibility, and visibility brings partners, funding and new connections. For Amb. Dr Mhlanga, the Humanitarian Impact award gave years of quiet effort a wider audience, and the Trust’s work has only grown since.
In her words
“Success isn’t given, it’s built by women who refuse to quit,” she says. “I’ve been on that stage as a winner and at the table as a judge, and I’ve seen what recognition does for a woman. It tells her she’s seen. It tells her community that her work matters. Powerful women don’t wait for change. They create it. Now I get to help more women be seen.”
The appointment follows other recent honours, including the 2026 Charitable Endeavour of the Year Award, recognition as one of Africa’s 100 Iconic Personalities of the Year, and her current title of Global Shero at the She Inspires Awards.
Nominations are open
The Women Changing the World Regional Awards are now accepting nominations. Chances are you already know someone who belongs on that list: a woman feeding children, running a business that employs her neighbours, or speaking up for people who can’t speak for themselves.
Nominate an inspiring woman, or yourself, at www.wcwawards.com
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