Inonge Wina

Wina attended primary school in Senanga, at the Barotse National School (now Kambule Secondary School) in Mongu. She eventually completed her high school education at Santa Monica High School in Los Angeles, California. She obtained a diploma in social work at Santa Monica College. She also enrolled for a Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Zambia when it was first opened.

Wina's involvement in community work dates back to the early 1970s when she volunteered free service to women's movements. She has served on a number of boards of non-governmental organisations and as president of the Young Women's Christian Association, where she was instrumental in promoting women's human rights agenda, resulting in the Zambian government's establishment of the Victim Support Unit under the Zambia Police Service.

In 1996, she was elected National Chairperson of the NGO Coordinating Council of Zambia (NGOCC).

In 2000, Wina led the women's movement in the Red Ribbon Campaign in defence of the Zambian Constitution.

Wina also served as director on a number of boards in the public sector; this included Refuge Services Zambia, Zambia Council of Social Services, University Teaching Hospital, and the University of Zambia Council.

In 2001 Wina was elected as Member of Parliament of Nalolo Constituency as a candidate of the United Party for National Development. She was elected chairperson of a number of portfolio committees, including the Committee on Human Rights Gender and Governance, and Women Parliamentary Caucus.

In the 2006 presidential and general elections, Wina re-contested her Nalolo seat as a candidate of the United Liberal Party. She lost the election and petitioned the results in the High Court; the case was ruled in her favour but later overturned by the Supreme Court.

In the 2011 general elections, Wina again contested the Nalolo seat, this time under the Patriotic Front ticket, and won. Wina was included in President Michael Sata's initial 18-member cabinet as Minister of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs. On March 8, 2014, Sata, during the commemoration of International Women's Day, upgraded the gender cabinet division into a full ministry and subsequently appointed Wina as Minister of Gender.

On January 26, 2015, newly elected President Edgar Lungu appointed Wina as Vice President of Zambia. She ran on Lungu's ticket in the 2016 election, becoming the first woman elected as Vice President.

She was married to Arthur Wina, an independence fighter, former minister and academic who died on 3 September 1995.[1] They had three children, two of whom are deceased. Arthur Wina was educated at Munali Secondary School which, in colonial times, was Zambia's principal secondary school for native Zambians. A number of the members of Zambia's first post-Independence cabinet, (including Arthur Wina's brother Sikota), were also educated at Munali.[2]

On 19 August 2020, Wina tested positive for COVID-19.[3]