Anita Okunde, a 20-year-old award-winning activist, I Will Ambassador and public speaker focusing on issues specifically surrounding intersectional climate justice and feminism was recently elected as the first-ever black woman Oxford Union president.
The Oxford University student of Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE) expressed her delight for being elected into such a prestigious office in ‘the most elite’ institute.
“President-elect and a proud state school president built not bought, a dying breed!
“It has been an honour and I cannot wait to serve as your president. All the glory be to God honestly, John 15:7,” she wrote on her X handle.
Before the election, Anita had during her campaign highlighted her achievements and vision of canvassing for votes.
“I have worked to make the union more accessible to all; from arranging the union’s first Black History Month Dinner and Exhibition to hosting socioeconomic debating workshops as a socioeconomic officer.
I have consistently prioritised inclusion and engagement, and I have taken meaningful steps to demystify the union to foster a more transparent and welcoming environment for all members.
I have shown my commitment to ensuring members receive real value for their membership. With initiatives such as professional headshot sessions, I have delivered unique and practical benefits to our members,” she said.
She further emphasised how the theme: “Bridge Codes”, which she introduced, has not only enhanced members’ experience but also honoured the union’s rich history.
She said that some codes are named after monumental years such as 1968, the year of the union’s first female president; something she is proud of as an SU campaign for women co-chair.
“While I hope my record and vision demonstrates my commitment, I believe your vote is not just for a candidate, it is for the union’s legacy and future, which I believe myself and #UNIFY is best placed to deliver. I endorse all #UNIFY pledges!” she said.
Anita eventually won and was elected union president for Trinity Term 2024 with 564 first preferences, by a margin of 44 votes over Siddhant Nagrath; making her the first Black woman to hold the office.
Other candidates elected were Anya Trofimova as the Librarian with 660 first preferences. Rosalie Chapman was elected as Treasurer with 646 first preferences. Raza Nazar was elected Secretary with 590 first preferences.
The following candidates were elected to the Standing Committee, from highest to lowest order of votes: Veer Sangha, Katherine Yang, Oliver JL, Jennifer Yang, Hamza Hussain, and Prajwal Pandey.
The Secretary’s committee, or order of votes, will comprise: Brayden Lee, Arwa Elrayess, Samy Medjdoub, Matthew Chiu, Adam Ballman, Akshay Pendyala, Catherine Xu, Victor Marroquin-Merino, Yeji Kim, Toki Hong, and The Faizan Ijaz. A total of 1,236 votes were cast.
The Nigerian female genius was earlier listed as one of the top 100 environmentalists according to Forbes for her works of empowering young people, especially students, and being the youth commissioner for the well-being of future generations Bill currently passing through Parliament.
Before her election into the prestigious office, Anita was the Oxford Union’s treasurer for 20 months. She also held the office of director of media for five months.
The award-winning Amazon was the socioeconomic officer between December 2023 and April 2024, and an elected member of the Secretary’s committee for seven months.
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