Gertrude Bibi Annoh-Quarshie is in charge of leading and directing the operations, finance, human resource and administrative functions of AWDF to ensure they are of the highest quality. She will be responsible for designing, developing and implementing short to long term strategies aimed at optimising AWDF’s general support systems and complex financial management systems.

She is a chartered certified accountant with over 16 years of experience in audit, finance, accounting and administration in not-for profit as well as for profit organisations. Since joining AWDF in 2007, she has contributed to strengthening the processes, policies, systems and structures that ensure that AWDF remains a credible and sustainable organisation. She authored a publication on good practice in financial management for women’s rights organisations.

She is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) of the United Kingdom, and the Institute of Chartered Accountants Ghana (ICAG). She has a B.S. degree and an Executive MBA in Finance from the University of Ghana. She currently sits on the board of ISIS-WICCE/WIPC a regional feminist organisation with a mission to ignite women’s leadership, amplify their voices and deepen their activism in re-creating peace.

Gertrude is passionate about women’s rights and the pursuit of dignity, equality, respect and justice for African women and girls. Integrity and ethical leadership are at the forefront of her personal and professional values, influencing her day-to-day decision making and actions.

Hellen is a proficient Chartered Accountant with over 12 years’ experience in corporate reporting, external audit, internal controls, treasury management, taxation and corporate governance.

Prior to joining AWDF she was the Chief accountant of RMG Ghana Ltd. She also worked as an audit senior at Ernst & Young Ghana where she acquired experience in diverse industries amongst others manufacturing, extractive, construction, finance and governmental sector.

Hellen is a member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA-UK), she holds a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce (B’com) from University of Cape Coast and an Executive MBA (Finance) from University of Ghana Business School, Legon.

She is passionate about the total well-being of women and the African woman for that matter. She enjoys reading and listening to music.

Afi’s responsibilities in the Finance Department include working to achieve the objectives of the day to day operational management, processing Grants payments and managing the Fixed Assets of the organisation. She is a student of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and a graduate from the University of Cape Coast with a Bachelor of Commerce. Afi believes her years with AWDF have been an ideal foundation for developing both her financial expertise and passion for African women’s rights.

Sheila ANUM is passionate about women’s right issues and empowering of the African woman. She believes that women often excel when they are empowered. Prior to joining the AWDF, she worked with the Amaris Terminal Limited.

Sheila Anum is a graduate of Valley View University, Oyibi with a degree in Business Administration, Banking and Finance Option.

Victoria Afere-Amoasi is an accounting and finance professional who has worked in the construction, banking, and renewable sectors, offering her unique skills in accounting and finance operations in diverse fields.

As an accountant, she successfully established a highly efficient and effective accounting operational system and led successful audits for previous employers through collaboration with external auditors..

She holds an MBA in accounting and finance and a bachelor’s degree in Banking and Finance from the University of Professional Studies Accra, Ghana

Victoria is passionate about the well-being of African women and believes that women’s empowerment is essential to Africa’s development.

In her leisure hours, she enjoys watching documentaries about nature

Janet Okumi is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Ghana, Institute of Internal Auditors, Global and a student member of the Chartered Institute of Taxation, Ghana. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Ghana Business School, Legon in Accounting.

She is currently employed by African Women Development Fund (AWDF) as the Due Diligence Officer, having previously worked for West Africa Program to Combat AIDS and STIs, Ghana (WAPCAS-Ghana) as the Internal Audit Manager. Prior to her employment at Ghana-WAPCAS, Janet worked with Kwame Asante and Associates (KAA) as the Assistant Manager in the Audit & Assurance service line.

Janet has over 7 years of professional experience in both public and private sectors. Her hobbies include reading, listening to gospel music and watching wildlife documentary.

Abigail has over 10years experience in Administration and Human Resource in the NGO Sector. She is an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Human Resource Ghana and an alumnus of Regent University College of Science & Technology where she studied Management with Computing (HR Option).

Prior to joining AWDF, she worked as an Administrative Assistant for Charles Kendall & Partners: Fiscal & Procurement Agents for the Millennium Development Authority (MIDA) Ghana project. Abigail also has the following certificates to her credit; Higher National Diploma in Secretaryship & Management Studies from Accra Polytechnic and a Private Secretaryship Certificate from NACVET.

Abigail is an advocate of women’s right and believes that the empowerment of women and girls is the key to accelerated development.

Sylvia is an Administrative Assistant at the AWDF. With the field of administration a familiar turf for her, she brings on board over 10 years’ practice. She provides the HR Manager with administrative support and prides herself with leaving all her visitors with ineradicable smiles of contentment.

Preceding her role at AWDF, she was the Administrative Assistant for the Ambassador of the Embassy of the Czech Republic. She completed the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology with a degree in English and French, a certificate in International Relations and Diplomacy from the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration, and a diploma in Human Resource Management from ICM – UK.

Among the values that Sylvia upholds and imbues into all who come into contact with her are: respect, accountability and integrity. She aspires to be enlisted among the prominent names of women called to the bar.

Sarah is an Administrative Assistant (Procurement) responsible for administrative duties relating to organising and coordinating procurement activities to support an efficient procurement framework within AWDF.

Prior to joining AWDF, she had worked at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital for her National Service. Sarah is a graduate of Accra Polytechnic with HND in Purchasing and Supply.

She is passionate about seeing tangible results from work completed and giving fair treatment to everyone. Sarah is a strong believer in women’s rights to equal opportunities.

Belinda is the program assistant of AWDF and contributes to managing AWDF”s grant making portfolio in the six thematic areas. She holds a B. A in Social Work with Sociology from the University of Ghana with special interest in gender studies. Prior to joining the AWDF she worked as a customer service assistant at Alliance Waste Limited to complete her National Service.

Growing up she has always wanted to work in the development sector specifically on women’s rights issues.

Eugene is an Information Systems Specialist with over 10 years combined experience in IT project management, System Development, Database and Data
Management, IT Service Management, MIS, Information Security and Data protection.

Prior to joining AWDF, Eugene worked with International Cocoa Initiative as the Ghana IT lead where he coordinated the implementation of various IS systems, processes and services across projects at the National level. He is also a certified data protection supervisor.

Akua is an international development expert with 3 years’ experience in project management, Grant contracting and management with international development organizations like GIZ and Engineers without Borders Canada.

Akua is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley. She is an avid gardener and loves to read.

Deborah holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Purchasing and Supply from the Accra Technical University (ATU) and she is extending her field into Human Resource and Management (HRM). Prior to working with AWDF, she worked with Total Energies Ghana as a Procurement Assistant.

Deborah is passionate about Gender Equality and Women Empowerment. In her free time, she loves to explore foods.

Nana Zulu (she/her) is a feminist and women’s rights advocate. From and based in Zambia, she brings over 15 years of experience in movement building, program management and grantmaking working with feminist and social justice organizations and movements in Africa and globally. Nana joins AWDF from Hivos, where she served as the Regional Director for Southern Africa. She has been dedicated to movement building for just and inclusive societies where she has contributed her program management, strategic leadership, policy and advocacy expertise and experience. Nana holds professional qualifications in public administration, psychology, human rights law and peace and conflict studies.

Beatrice is the Grants Manager at the African Women’s Development Fund with the key responsibility of providing leadership and direction for the grants making function. Beatrice also manages the HIV/AIDS portfolio at the Fund. Beatrice has a Masters’ Degree in Communication Studies and an Executive Masters in Business Administration from the University of Ghana. She also holds an LLB from the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA). Beatrice is an expert in grant-making design and management and community development programmes with special expertise in the areas of public health and social research. She has special interest in working with small women’s groups.

Dinnah has fourteen years as a policy researcher and programmes management specialist. Her expertise is dedicated to advancing African feminist knowledge; and interrogating methodological foundations that de-centre the lived experiences, voices and identities of African women and girls. She is particularly experienced in leading multi-stakeholder research-to-practice transitions using a combination of advocacy and learning processes.

Dinnah’s programmatic and research work has focused on the redress of conflict-related sexual violence; violence against children; reproductive health; and mental health and psychosocial support. She has worked in refugee and conflict-affected contexts in Uganda and with prior placements in Ghana and Washington Dc.

Dinnah loves long-distance nature walks and experiencing African art and museums.

Carmen is committed to addressing gender inequality in all its manifestations across social, economic and political contexts for the achievement of a more just society.  Carmen has had the privilege of working with a wide range of programme stakeholders including individuals, groups, communities, donors, government departments, non-governmental organisations and corporate clients.

She has worked collaboratively with individual, group and institutional programme partners to facilitate improved life outcomes for the following target communities: newly qualified teachers, prison populations; men who have sex with men (MSM); transgender (TG); women; children; war veterans; school communities; students at higher education institutions; children and community-based organizations. As a lifelong learner, she has integrated theory and practice in her job roles.

Her work experience has been augmented with education through a Master’s Degree in Social Work Management, as well as a Post Graduate Diploma and Master’s Degree in Monitoring and Evaluation. Her core competencies are in M&E System Design and Implementation, Project Management, Data Quality Assessments, Programme Design, Coordination and Management, and Programme Evaluation.

Rose is a feminist researcher and activist who believes in building leadership of marginalised populations and communities in advancing social and environmental justice.

For the past 18 years she has worked within the civil society space supporting and resourcing feminist movements and women’s rights activism in Africa. She is passionate about issues of climate and economic justice and provides technical support to women’s rights and feminist organisations and movements in Africa. She is a Strategic Advisor for Global Fund for Women, USA; an Advisor for Spring Impact UK, supporting their Women Economic Empowerment Accelerator Programme in Southern Africa. She also consults for climate justice movements in Africa.

Rose has a PhD in Environmental Science from the University of Ghana and a Master’s degree in Environmental resources Management from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana,  and is an Alumnus of the Global Women in Leadership Programme, by WLI, USA-ExxonMobil.

A firm believer in feminist knowledge building, Rose has written several blogs and is also currently publishing in the area of environment, climate and other social issues.

Rose loves to spend quality time with her family and also connect with the natural environment in her spare time.

Gifty Ayebea Anim holds a Bachelors Degree in sociology and philosophy from the University of Ghana. She is also a graduate of the African Women’s Leadership Institute. Prior to working with the AWDF, she worked as a nursery attendant at Creator Early Childhood Development Centre. She is currently a student of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA).

Jodi Williams is a young professional and activist based in Cape Town, South Africa. For the last 7 years, Jodi has worked in the field of Transitional Justice, Social Justice, and Peacebuilding in Africa. Jodi has been at The Institute for Justice and Reconciliation (IJR), spearheading the Anti-Racism, Social Cohesion & Inclusion Project.

Grounded in African and Black radical feminist perspectives, Jodi is a certified dialogue facilitator. Her focus lies in engaging with the youth and gender-diverse communities across Southern Africa, utilising dialogue as a powerful tool for critical conversations on racial justice, gender justice, identity, belonging, and human dignity.

Jodi’s commitment to justice extends beyond dialogue; she strives to amplify the voices and lived experiences of individuals and communities through surfacing the enduring impact of Apartheid, colonialism, and slavery. Through her work and activism, her mission is to dismantle racial and patriarchal oppression.

Jodi Williams stands as a fierce force in the realm of decolonial knowledge creation, firmly rooted in African feminist perspectives. Jodi’s work goes beyond traditional boundaries, challenging dominant narratives that have historically marginalised and erased African voices. Jodi’s activism is rooted in reshaping these narratives to authentically reflect the experiences and rich knowledge systems of diverse African communities. As a fierce advocate for decolonisation, she strives to dismantle the remnants of colonial ideologies embedded within our political, economic, social and cultural systems.

Her academic journey at Stellenbosch University, where she majored in Political Science, was marked by her role as a student leader and activist challenging systemic inequities within higher education.

Jodi played a pivotal role in the nationwide movements advocating for free decolonised education, rallying under the hashtags #FeesMustFall, #RhodesMustFall, #PatriacrhyMustFall and the #EndRapeCulture campaign. Jodi’s activism is deeply rooted in the pursuit of radical societal transformation and justice. She firmly believes justice ought to be pursued boldly and with courage, a principle that guides her unwavering commitment to liberation.

As part of the Resourcing team, Alexandra helps to resource African women, girls and gender diverse people with financial and technical support to enable them undertake projects that will promote the rights of women, girls and gender diverse people across the African continent.
Alexandra holds a bachelor’s degree in Social Work and Psychology from the University of Ghana. She also holds a Bachelor of Laws degree (LLB) from the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA). Before joining AWDF, she worked at THCLR Ghana Limited as an Administrative Assistant.
Alexandra is a passionate advocate for the rights of minoritised groups and believes in justice and equity for all.

Caren is the Knowledge and Voice Officer forming part of the Knowledge Management Team to steer AWDF towards building and creatively utilising and connecting African women’s voices, experiences and learnings to shape feminist philanthropy.

Caren is a writer, feminist creative and an award-winning filmmaker with films screened and awarded globally in Durban, Glasgow, New York, Lagos and Accra.  Caren holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Ghana Legon in Theatre Arts and English, has years of experience in leveraging Communications as a tool to further the accurate representation of Black and African feminist philanthropic work and the African feminist movement. She is also a former Black Feminist Fund fellow.

Caren is passionate about learning and making connections across ideas, systems and disciplines and about resourcing the movements that are the helm of  working towards the reality of equity across all levels of society for all marginalised people.

Lana is responsible for the AWDF grant management portfolio of French speaking African countries. She liaises with other departments to provide technical assistance, support and expertise to the overall objectives of the organisation.

Lana has more than 15 years work experience in different fields, ranging from administration, project management, advocacy & communication, capacity building, grant-making and MEL. She has also undertaken consultations in the area of humanitarian advocacy and research, ecological & climate justice, SRHR justice, and African feminist movement building. For years, she provided technical support and expertise to various CSO-led, youth-led and women-led justice and activism movements in Africa.

Lana’s educational background is in Human Rights & Gender, Community Development and Communication for Development.

She is a proud feminist, passionate about feminism and its intersectionality. She also promotes values in justice, solidarity and leadership of African women for the full realisation of their rights.

Shirley is a burgeoning feminist who is passionate about women’s rights. She previously worked with the Seedshare Group and the Multipack Recruitment Agency, and is a graduate of the University of Cape Coast with a degree in Management Studies.

Passionate about work that is aimed at achieving socio-economic justice and gender equality, Valindra worked in projects that advocated for the advancement of workers’ rights including women’s rights.

She also did work that advanced the rights of indigenous women living in communities that are impacted by mining and extractive industries. In these experiences she learned that patriarchy and capitalist systems together reinforce the oppression of women. This has shaped her perspectives as a Pan-African eco-feminist.

She holds a B.Arts in International Studies from Monash University South Africa and Executive Certificates in Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning from University of Zimbabwe. Her spare time is mostly dedicated to family. She enjoys exploring other cultures and learning about their food, art and music.

Abena Bomo AFARI joined AWDF in November 2018 as a Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Associate. She completed her national service at the Ghana Institute of Languages, where she taught French. She has a bachelor’s degree in French and Marketing from Central university and a Master’s degree in Gender, Peace and Security from the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Center.

She is passionate about women’s rights issues and issues of conflict in Africa.

Wame Kealeboga Mogopodi is a dynamic leader with extensive experience in entrepreneurship, leadership, and program coordination, bringing a unique perspective to advancing feminist causes through economic empowerment. With a deep commitment to youth empowerment and business development, Wame has been instrumental in creating and implementing strategic plans that drive both organizational growth and impactful program outcomes. As a certified Trainer of Trainers and Executive Master’s graduate in Entrepreneurship, Wame combines hands-on training expertise with a nuanced understanding of business process improvement. This background allows Wame to empower others, particularly young women and underrepresented groups to gain economic independence, develop leadership skills, and pursue sustainable livelihoods, embodying the transformative potential of feminist values in action

Asaa is an Economist and researcher based in Accra, Ghana, with a passion for data analysis, exploring statistical software, data collection methodologies, and strategic planning. She has a strong background in evidence-based decision-making, which has been instrumental in her various roles. She currently serves as a Programmes Assistant for Impact and Learning, as well as Funded Initiatives for LFS, Komboa, and KASA at the African Women’s Development Fund(AWDF).

Her career began at notable financial institutions, including Stanbic Bank and Sahel Sahara Bank, where she honed her skills in customer service and data management. She further solidified her expertise while working with Junior Achievement (JA) Africa and JA Ghana, where she supported the Knowledge Management and Monitoring and Evaluation teams in implementing projects, programmes, and data collection and analysis processes.

She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Statistics from the University of Ghana and an MSc in Economics from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology (KNUST). Her passion for teaching, continuous learning, and research drives her pursuit of a PhD in Public Administration and Policy Management at UGBS, where she believes that effective Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) is a crucial component of achieving Sustainable Development. Her research interests delve into the ways in which M&E can be used to measure progress, identify challenges, and inform policy decisions

Abigail is a bilingual international development professional with about four years of work experience with international organizations. She has in her career supported international development teams in areas such as administration, procurement and event coordination.
She joined  AWDF as a Bilingual Capacity Building Assistant supporting with the implementation of the work of the Capacity Building Unit. Through this role, she aspires to be able to explore her passion for feminism and African development and to be able to continue a strong and impactful career in international development especially as it pertains to gender.
Abigail holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in French and Political Science from the University of Ghana, Legon and a Diploma in French Language Studies from the University of Abomey, Calavi.

I am a queer Black African anarchist feminist. My identities as a queer Black African anarchist feminist mean that I have made a commitment to combining Black African feminism, anarchism and queer politics to living a life of labour that works towards dismantling white supremacy, capitalism and heteronormative patriarchy. I foreground a power and gendered analysis in my work and praxis
I have worked within civil society since 2001. I am passionate about creating and generating ideas, advocacy and justice, sustaining activism through healing and knowledge production, and to ensure the visibility, voices and lived experiences of African women in all their diversity in dismantling systems and institutions of oppression. I believe in Black African feminism, queer and anarchist politics to inform not only the work we do and the way we do it, but to also forge a path that will lead to individual and collective creation, healing and love.

Chaïmae Ribani is an Intersectional Feminist and activist for human rights, peace, justice. Over the past four years, she has worked closely with civil society, and international organizations advocating for basic human rights and empowering the vulnerable and marginalized.

With a Bachelor’s degree in Law and a Master’s degree in International Studies and Diplomacy, Chaïmae has honed her expertise in Feminist Foreign policy and women’s roles in promoting security and peace.

Afua is responsible for coordinating and managing AWDF’s donor portfolio, ensuring that AWDF meets its implementation and reporting obligations to all stakeholders.

Afua started her career at World Vision International- Ghana as a Programme Officer for Sponsorship. She worked with ABANTU for Development; a women’s rights organisation based in Ghana for about 6 years advocating for policies to increase women’s participation and representation in decision-making spaces, through policy influencing and action research.

As a consultant for the United Nations Children’s Fund, World University Service of Canada, Centre for Democratic Development, the Women Peace and Security Institute of the Kofi Annan International Peace Training Centre, she assisted in implementing programmes to promote social accountability to reduce inequality in Ghanaian society.

Afua holds a Master of Arts degree in Development Studies from the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research of the University of Ghana. She also has a certificate in Development Management from the Open University in the UK and a Bachelor of Education degree from the University of Cape Coast.

She is passionate about advocating for women’s rights and contributing to feminist agendas in Africa.

Chandapiwa brings over eight years of experience spanning both the public and private sectors, focusing on continental development, grant and partnership management, resource mobilization, and program management. Her contributions have made significant impacts at various levels, including country, regional, and continental, through her collaboration with key organizations such as the African Union Commission in Ethiopia and Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) in Botswana and South Africa.

Her commitment to social inclusion is evident in her advocacy for the empowerment of women, girls, and persons with disabilities, aiming for societal advancement through the lens of universal design. Chandapiwa has spearheaded projects aimed at enhancing the lives of these groups in collaboration with notable entities like the Global Shapers Community – Gaborone Hub (an initiative of the World Economic Forum), the Putting Women First Trust, the Rotaract Club for Young Professionals in Gaborone, and Faven Africa.

Academically, Chandapiwa holds a BA (Honors) in Business (Enterprise) from the University of Derby, a Post-Graduate Diploma in Social Innovation from the Amani Institute, and a Diploma in Social Innovation from the UPEACE Centre for Executive Education.
Outside of her professional and academic pursuits, Chandapiwa is an enthusiast of the great outdoors, enjoying long walks, short hikes, and camping.

Joyce started her career at the Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana (PPAG) as a volunteer and later became a staff working as a Project Officer for the Accra Young and Wise Centre. She recently worked with the Ministry of Gender Children and Social Protection and the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development as a Consultant on the World Bank funded Ghana Social Opportunities Project (GSOP). She has also served on the UNFPA Global Youth Advisory Panel, National HIV Anti-Stigma Taskforce, PPAG National Governing Council and the Board of Purim Youth Development Platform (PAYAD).

She holds a Master of Arts Degree in International Affairs and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology from the University of Ghana. She also holds a certificate in Project Management / Procurement and Financial Management from the Management Development and Productivity Institute (MDPI) and a certificate in Monitoring and Evaluation from the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA). She is an alumnus of the African Women’s Leadership Institute (AWLI); International Programme for Development Evaluation Training (IPDET) by Carlton University and the Ghanaian Women Social Leadership Programme by New York University.

In her free time, Joyce writes and directs original plays on socio-religious themes for audiences of diverse backgrounds.

Ramatoulaye, an Afropolitan feminist, is dedicated to empowering women socially, politically, and economically in her community. With a strong academic foundation from the University of Paris IV Sorbonne and a Professional Master’s degree from the University of Arizona, she specializes in women’s literature from West African and Black Atlantic authors. Her expertise extends to Black Atlantic literature, highlighting the diverse narratives of Black women globally.

Her research amplifies marginalized voices, with a focus on the narratives of Muslim women in France through an anti-racist, decolonial, and feminist lens. However, her journey extends beyond academia. While at Equipop, an international NGO, from 2020 to 2023, Ramatoulaye played a pivotal role in building and nurturing spaces for collective mobilization in West Africa. Her efforts aimed at empowering and amplifying the voices of young feminists in the region, fostering meaningful transformative change.

Ramatoulaye’s career spans various roles, from Marketing and Communications Officer at Enko Education to her impactful work with Equipop, where she supports feminist activists and civil society organizations, amplifying the voices of young feminists in West Africa. Her journey is marked by an unwavering commitment to women’s empowerment, rooted in her Afropolitan feminist identity.