Barbara Joyce Abang

Lawyer · Advocate

Uganda

Bipolar disorderSelf-disclosed [1]

Barbara Joyce Abang is a Ugandan lawyer and mental-health advocate who worked for nearly two decades in Uganda's Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs. In 2024, she published Be Kind to Your Mind, a memoir and mental-health guide drawing on her experience of bipolar disorder. [1][2]

Last updated September 15, 2026

Career and work

Abang developed a long career in Ugandan government legal work, including work with the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs. Her professional experience has included government contracts, regional negotiations and infrastructure-related legal work. [2][1]

What has been publicly discussed

“Mental health matters, and you matter.”
— Barbara Joyce Abang [1]

The following sources contain information that supports the claims made in this profile.

Kampala Edge Times“Barbara Joyce Abang | Be Kind to Your Mind”
Long-form interview covering Abang's legal career, bipolar disorder diagnosis, repeated episodes, treatment, workplace experiences, book and advocacy priorities.
SourceBarbara Joyce Abang — LinkedIn professional profile
First-person professional record covering her government legal work and her description of Be Kind to Your Mind as a memoir and mental-health resource.
SourceBarbara Joyce Abang — self-care reflection on LinkedIn
First-person reflection on previously neglecting her health and relationships and her later emphasis on self-care, family, faith and health.

Recommended books and other resources about Barbara Joyce Abang and lived experience.

Barbara Joyce AbangBe Kind to Your Mind: Embracing Your Humanness and Leveraging Its Power to Sustain You Through Life's Detours
Abang's memoir and mental-health guide about bipolar disorder, stigma, relationships, work and self-management.

Continue exploring

View all