Monica Geingos is a distinguished Namibian leader, lawyer, and global advocate. With a career spanning private equity, public service as a First Lady, and the founding of a major Namibian non-profit organisation, she is a strategic thinker with a proven record of leading complex organisations, driving systemic change, and mobilising financial resources.
Ms. Geingos was responsible for strategic leadership, portfolio management, and delivering investor returns for over a decade as co-shareholder and the founding Managing Director of Namibia’s largest private equity fund.
As the First Lady of the Republic of Namibia (2015-2024), Ms. Geingos redefined the role, leveraging it to build lasting institutions. She founded and serves as Executive Chairperson of the One Economy Foundation (ONE), which she grew into Namibia’s largest local NGO. Under her leadership, the Foundation developed the #BeFree Youth Campus, an innovative, integrated model combining state-of-the-art adolescent health services, including sexual and reproductive health and mental health support, with youth development programmes.
Her leadership extended across the continent as President of the Organisation of African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD). In this role, she executed a successful turnaround strategy, launching the continent-wide #WeAreEqual campaign which advocated for gender equality. This initiative not only reached over 650 million people across 37 countries to advance gender equality but also resulted in a 300% increase in the organisation’s funding, demonstrating her capacity to drive both impact and organisational growth.
Ms. Geingos is a globally respected voice on public health, youth development, and gender equality. Her strategic advocacy led to her appointment as a UNAIDS Special Advocate for Young Women and Adolescent Girls. In 2024, she was appointed by the United Nations Secretary- General as one of only four global UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Advocates, placing her at the highest level of international advocacy for the 2030 Agenda.
