Manzila Pola Uddin is a dedicated public servant with a passion for community development and social justice. With years of experience in various governmental roles, she strives to make a positive impact in society.
About Baroness Uddin
Professional Background
In 1998, she made history as the youngest woman, the sole Muslim, and the only Asian woman appointed by Tony Blair as a Labour Peer. During her swearing-in, she invoked "Almighty Allah," symbolizing the recognition of her advocacy for women’s and disability rights. In 2005, Tony Blair selected her to lead a programme engaging community organizations in tackling extremism. However, in August 2006, she remained true to her principles, signing an open letter criticizing the UK’s foreign policy.
Her dedication to diversity and inclusion was further reflected in 2008 when she was appointed Chair of the Ethnic Minority Women's Taskforce. The following year, she was shortlisted for the Women in Public Life Awards for Female Peer of the Year, cementing her position as a trailblazer in politics. Additionally, she has been at the forefront of driving business and investment agendas in war-torn regions, using her influence to create economic opportunities in struggling communities. Her career has been marked by resilience, advocacy, and a steadfast commitment to social justice. From community activism to the corridors of power, Baroness Uddin remains a formidable force in British politics, an advocate for marginalized communities, and a symbol of perseverance.
Community Leadership and Political Career
Baroness Uddin’s activism began in Tower Hamlets in 1980 as a Youth and Community Worker with the YWCA, focusing on developing services for women and young people. Throughout the 1980s, she worked locally and nationally, advocating for economic emancipation, equal rights in health, housing, and education. She co-founded and led Jagonari, the first women’s education and resource centre in the area.
Her leadership extended into politics, where she became Deputy Leader of the Tower Hamlets Labour Party and later served as Deputy Leader of Tower Hamlets Council from 1988 to 1996. In 1997, she stood as a Labour parliamentary candidate for Bethnal Green and Bow but was unsuccessful. Her commitment to social change extended to her role as a trustee of St. Katherine’s and Shadwell Trust, further demonstrating her dedication to community well-being.
Today, Baroness Uddin holds crucial positions within the political landscape. She is the Treasurer of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for International Students and the co-chair of Saudi Arabia, the APPG on the Metaverse and Web 3.0. And Vice Chair of Commonwealth APPG.
early life
Manzila Pola Uddin, known as Baroness Uddin, was born on July 17, 1959, into a Bengali Muslim Khan family in Bangladesh. In 1973, at the age of 13, she moved to the United Kingdom with her family, joining her father after the liberation war of 1971. Settling in the diverse and vibrant East End of London, she embarked on a journey of growth, education, and service to her community.
She attended Plashet Grammar School in East Ham and later pursued higher education in her mid-30s, earning a Social Work qualification on a scholarship at what was then the Polytechnic of North London. Her academic achievements were not just personal milestones; she was the last woman in her family to complete higher education while raising three children, including her eldest son, who has autism and learning disabilities.
Her firsthand experience of the inequities faced by families caring for disabled children, despite existing laws, deepened her commitment to social justice. The struggles she faced in securing education and care for her son became a driving force behind her pursuit of higher education and lifelong activism.
Public service
Baroness Uddin: A Lifelong Champion for Women, Families, and Communities
Baroness Uddin’s public service journey spans over four decades of pioneering work across social care, community development, and British public life. In 1980, she became the first Bangladeshi, Muslim women youth and community worker employed by the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA), Avenues Unlimited. Based in Tower Hamlets, she developed, alongside a team of women leaders that led to creating vital community services in empowering young people, women and families to access education, housing, and healthcare.
She led the development of the Tower Hamlets Maternity Services Liaison Scheme (now Tower Hamlets Women’s Health Services), in partnership with national and local statutory and voluntary institutions and organisations, including, health, housing and local councils including the Radical Midwives Association and Professor Wendy Savage and championed women’s safe obstetric and maternity care.
As part of her social work placement in 1989, she founded the UK’s first Asian Women’s Family Counselling Services at the Jagonari Centre, providing confidential support to women and families experiencing violence and abuse. The project has continued to serve families in Tower Hamlets, Newham and Hackney until 2020 and specialised working with families achieve safety.
Elevating her community leadership into politics, Baroness Uddin served as Deputy Leader of Tower Hamlets Council (1988-1996)before being appointed by Prime Minister Tony Blair in 1998 as the youngest woman, and the first Muslim and Asian woman, in the House of Lords, where she continues to champion women’s rights, disability rights, and social justice.
As a current member of Parliament, House of Lords, she actively supports women-led organisations and entrepreneurs, in partnership including with Savvitas (formerly Pink Shoe) for over 15 years, hosting women entrepreneurs and leaders from across the globe which is a part of her drive to encourage women’s economic empowerment.
Baroness Uddin has actively campaigned for the protection of civilians including women and children in global conflict zones and has called for vital participation of women and children, in post-conflict resolution and peacebuilding leadership.
She has been persistent in calling on the UK to take greater responsibility in advancing peace efforts, particularly in Gaza, Sudan, and across wars and conflict-affected regions in the Middle East and Africa.
Her parliamentary contributions include serving on the APPGs for International Students, Commonwealth, Women and Work, and Entrepreneurs. She founded and led the APPG on the Metaverse and Web3, producing report on reports on the impact on safeguarding, education, healthcare, and equality of emerging technologies while ensuring women’s leadership and participation is recognised in all APPGs programmes and activities.
Baroness Uddin’s enduring commitment to domestic violence prevention and family protection remains central to her concerns, rooted in her frontline social work with women and children affected by abuse and violence for over 40 years.
Through her tireless journey in advancing community empowerment, women’s rights, and social justice, Baroness Uddin remains a transformative figure in public life, working across political perspectives to advance the safety, security, and well-being of women and families both in the UK and globally.
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Baroness Uddin
House of Lords London SW1A 0PW
