Melanie Verwoerd

Melanie Verwoerd
Verwoerd in Mozambique in 2008
Born	Melanie Fourie (1967-04-18) 18 April 1967 (age 57) Pretoria, South Africa
Nationality	South Africa Ireland
Occupations	Political analyst author former politician and diplomat
Known for	African politics social justice gender equality environmentalism
Spouse	Wilhelm Verwoerd ​ ​ (m. 1987; div. 2005)​
Partner	Gerry Ryan (2008–died 2010)
Children	2
Writing career
Notable works	When We Dance – A Memoir (The Verwoerd Who Toyi-toyied) 21 at 21: The Coming of Age of a Nation Our Madiba: Stories and Reflections From Those Who Loved Him
Website	www.melanieverwoerd.co.za

Melanie Verwoerd (Afrikaans: [fɛrˈvuːrt]; née Fourie; born 18 April 1967) is a South African and Irish political analyst and diplomat. She was previously a politician, ambassador, and the director of UNICEF Ireland.

Verwoerd was elected as a Member of Parliament for the African National Congress (ANC) during the first democratic elections in South Africa in 1994, and re-elected in 1999. In 2001, she was appointed as the South African Ambassador to Ireland, a position she held until 2005. Between 2007 and 2011 she was the executive director of UNICEF Ireland.