Kupakwashe Matangira

Kupakwashe Matangira is an award-winning human rights activist, social entrepreneur and intersectional feminist. Her work focuses on the nexus of youth empowerment, gender equality, justice reform and climate change. 

Kupakwashe is a Policy and Research Officer at the Australian Human Rights Commission. Using her experience in the community, she advises the Department of Home Affairs on issues affecting African youth and those from migrant and refugee backgrounds. She is also part of the Global Youth Committee at the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership.

Previously, Kupakwashe was a youth ambassador for Save The Children, where she co-authored a youth manifesto for change. She went on to be a youth worker in areas hit hardest by the 2020 bushfires and floods, where she empowered young people to be politically active and have a say in the rebuilding of their communities.

In 2023, she represented Australian youth at COP28 and advocated for greater youth inclusion in negotiations. As Australia’s second-ever Freya Phillips National Scholar, Kupakwashe was part of the 2022 delegation to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women. She has a degree in politics, philosophy and economics.