Judith Amaechi

Who is Judith Amaechi?

Dame Judith Amaechi is the wife of Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, Nigeria and head of the Empowerment Support Initiative which campaigns against HIV/AIDS, advocates the rights of the women and children, and promotes gender equity and Girl-Child education.

Amaechi was born on 24 December 1970. She attended Federal Government Girls College, Abuloma for her secondary education. She then attended Rivers State University of Science and Technology, where she graduated as an Urban and Regional Planning Professional. She married Governor Rotimi Amaechi and they have three children.

Amaechi launched the Empowerment Support Initiative, a Non-Governmental Organization, on 16 October 2008. The NGO provides practical support and advice for women and children, particularly the most disadvantaged. In June 2009, speaking during International Widows Day, Amaechi called for review of native laws and customary practices that cause distress to widows, sometimes throwing them into abject poverty. In March 2010 she visited Israel with the State Commissioner for Women Affairs, Manuela George-Izunwa, to inspect farms and discuss training and development of agriculture among women in Rivers State.