Reimagining Feminist Governance

The African Women’s Development Fund is thrilled to announce the addition of four formidable African feminists to its Board of Directors. Joining Board members Taaka Awori, Dr Hilda Tadria, Bisi Ayedele-Fayemi and Arielle Enninful, these new members bring a wealth of diverse experiences, expertise, and perspectives that will further strengthen AWDF’s mission and commitment to empowering women and girls across the continent.

In 2022, the African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF) embarked on a “Reimagining the Board” initiative to strengthen AWDF’s Board so that it is both responsive to AWDF’s new strategic framework, Lemlem, and trailblazing in its approach to feminist governance. AWDF is committed to ensuring that we embody the spirit of Lemlem and infuse it throughout our processes and governance.

Meet the new Board members:
1. Dr. Lamyaâ Achary (they/them), a dedicated sociologist and Human Rights researcher, possesses over a decade of expertise spanning analytical proficiency, research, policy analysis, and non-profit advocacy. Their career has been marked by a passionate commitment to advancing women’s and SOGIE rights, particularly in Morocco and North Africa.

2. Nicolette Naylor: With over two decades of experience leading strategies at the intersection of justice and philanthropy, Nicolette has spent over fifteen years working within one of the largest global philanthropies, the Ford Foundation. Nicolette led the Ford Foundation’s Southern Africa office and International Program on Gender, Racial & Ethnic Justice and has managed diverse teams across New York, India, West Africa, Southern Africa and Latin America.

3. Mariama Abdou Gado: Medical doctor, independent consultant; activist for the rights of girls, women and the inclusion of young people in decision-making bodies, Mariama is a young “nigérienne” specialist in public health policies and community development. She has more than six years of experience in reproductive health rights and family planning, working to ensure better health for women.

4. Jean-Ann Ndow (she/her) has over 15 years professional experience working in the legal field and in international development. Focusing on girls and women’s rights, youth mobilisation and education, she has worked with youth movements, global organisations and collaborated with UN agencies to lead advocacy and campaigns on ending violence girls and women, girls’ education and youth engagement.

Looking into the future:
As we move forward with these inspiring additions to our Board of Directors, we remain more committed than ever to our mission to fund, strengthen and uphold the organisations and movements led by African feminists, women, girls and gender-diverse people, in pursuit of gender justice and social transformation.

Lamyaâ, Jeann-Ann, Mariama and Nicolette  join AWDF at a pivotal time in our organisational journey. Having just launched our new strategic framework, Lemlem, which will guide our work into the next ten years, AWDF will greatly benefit from these four activists’ perspectives and leadership. We look forward to walking that journey together with them and with you all!