Colleen Lowe Morna

Colleen Lowe Morna (South Africa) is CEO of Gender Links. A South African born in Zimbabwe, Colleen began her career as a journalist specialising in economic and development reporting including as Africa Editor of the New Delhi-based Women's Feature Service.  She joined the Commonwealth Secretariat as a senior researcher on the Africa desk in 1991, and later served as Chief Programme Officer of the Commonwealth Observer Mission to South Africa. Colleen subsequently served as founding CEO of the South African Commission on Gender Equality. A trainer, researcher and writer, Colleen has written extensively on gender issues in Southern Africa. She holds a BA degree in International Relations from Princeton University; Masters in Journalism from Columbia University and certificate in executive management from the London Business School. She has received awards from the Woodrow Wilson School of International Relations; the News women's Club of New York and the Mail and Guardian newspaper in South Africa. In 2007, South Africa's Media Magazine named Colleen runner up in the Media Woman of the Year Award. In 2013, CEO magazine named Colleen the “most influential woman” in South Africa and Africa as a whole in the civil society category. A year later the University of Johannesburg awarded Colleen honorary membership of the Golden Key Association that recognises excellence in academia and public service. Colleen has served as editor-in-chief of all nine Barometers.