Laura Criado Lafuente serves as the Programme Coordinator for Gender & Youth at UNFPA Uganda. In this capacity, she works at the intersection of youth empowerment, gender equality, and adolescent health—focusing on safeguarding rights and opportunities for young people, particularly girls and youth affected by vulnerabilities.

She has actively spoken out on issues such as teenage pregnancy, child marriage, and gender‐based violence. Her work contributes to cross‐sectoral engagement: collaborating with ministries (e.g., Education, Health, Gender), local governments, and youth‐led organisations to ensure multi‐sectoral solutions.

By placing youth and gender at the centre of policy and programme design, she is helping shape national efforts to shift from surviving to thriving for young people in Uganda.