Ms. Margaret Nakato scoops the Margarita Lizárraga Medal 2020-2021

Published By UNNGOF |  December 2, 2021

The FAO Award Selection Committee unanimously agreed to award Ms. Margaret Nakato the Margarita Lizárraga Medal 2020-2021. This was during the Hundred and Sixty-Sixth Session of the FAO Council.

The award, established by the Conference in 1997, is awarded by the Director-General FAO every two years. The Medal pays tribute to the late Ms. Margarita Saucedo Lizárraga, Senior FAO Fishery Liaison Officer, for her decisive role in promoting the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries, and her productive work in the field of fisheries, especially in developing countries.

Margaret was selected in recognition of her success through Katosi Women Development Trust, for organizing women in fishing communities to work together, empowering them with knowledge, skills, access to training, markets and technology. Margaret’s contribution to the application of the Code is outstanding, practical, tangible and sustainable, as well as catalytic.

Margaret was also recognized as an early partner in the development and implementation of the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication (SSF Guidelines). She was commended as an inspiring, positive and passionate mentor for young women in small scale fisheries.

Moreso, Margaret was featured as a FAO “Food Hero” in the 2020 World Food Day celebrations – a voice to show how the fisheries sector contributes to sustainable agri-food systems.

The Director-General awarded this medal to Margaret Nakato in a virtual ceremony on 19th November 2021 at the launch of the International Year of Artisanal Fisheries 2021. The ceremony was attended by over 550 various stakeholders from around the globe.

Uganda National NGO Forum joins the rest of the development practitioners around the world to congratulate our Board member – Ms. Margaret Nakato, the Executive Director of Katosi Women Development Trust, for this outstanding accomplishment.

We appreciate the much-needed work in supporting women to have a greater voice and strengthened role being drivers of change.

Below is the link to watch the FAO webcast:

https://www.fao.org/webcast/home/en/item/5716/icode/

To watch the video that was played during the ceremony, click here https://www.dropbox.com/sh/w0rrvpefgfyhdc4/AABz2waXP1WAcQmHQhxQdRBWa?dl=0