Zainab Bangura was appointed by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon as the Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict.

Zainab Bangura is a politician and social activist who previously served as Foreign Minister and as the Minister for Sanitation and Health in Sierra Leone. In 2012, she was appointed by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon as the Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict. In this capacity, she has developed an inclusive strategy and initiatives to address conflict-related sexual violence in key areas. In particular, Bangura has worked to combat violent extremism that employs sexual violence as a tactic of war and to strengthen protection mechanisms, including training female personnel and service provision, in order to increase safety for displaced women and girls. She has received numerous awards for her work promoting democracy and human rights around the world.