Biography
Shantel (Marekera) Chakara is a Rhodes Scholar, international lawyer, policy advisor, and social entrepreneur. With close to a decade of experience at the intersection of law, economic empowerment and multilateral governance, she has shaped some of the most influential policy reform efforts across the world.
Through roles in the highest global advisory bodies at UN Women, FAO and UNESCO, she has helped mobilize $40 billion in commitments toward gender equality, education and food security. She has also co-designed multiple policy and accountability frameworks and spoken alongside heads of states and heads of international agencies.
An Oxford law graduate and New York licensed attorney, Shantel works at the World Bank Group as part of its flagship Women, Business and the Law (WBL) project. WBL’s work has informed over 50 World Bank operations and led to over 60 legal reforms across the world.
Her social impact work earned her the annual Changemaker Award from Gucci and Equality Now and the Äänit Prize for Social Impact from Mandela Rhodes Foundation and Rhodes Trust.