Women building bridges

N’DIAYE RAMATOULAYE DIALLO (Mali)

Politician, former Minister of Culture, Handicrafts and Tourism of Mali, Deputy Director of the 2013 presidential campaign and former Director of the Starcom group. N’Diaye Rama DIALLO is a professional in strategic management and economic intelligence.

A specialist in gender, peace and security issues in Africa. She won the fight for the adoption by the Malian Parliament of the first law on intellectual property, which finally recognized the professional status of artists and their economic rights. Under her leadership, Mali became a champion of culture, arts and heritage for Africa. She also launched the first African Cultural Governance Barometer.

Currently an advisor to the Dubai Expo 2020, she is a Commander of the National Order of Merit of France and holder of the UNESCO 70th Anniversary Commemorative Medal.

NADIA EL FANI (Tunisia)

In 1990 she directed her first work, the short documentary Pour le plaisir, where she already shows her transgressive attitude by directly showing the need to be master of one’s own body. Her next work is Fiftu-fifty, mon amour, a reflection on identity with autobiographical overtones.

In 2001, Nadia El Fani released her first fiction feature film, Bedwin Hacker, which deals with the power of information and television with the aim of inverting and questioning North-South relations.

In 2007 he released Ouled Lenine, a documentary focused on the figure of his father. In 2011 he makes the documentary Laïcite Inch’allah! a manifesto to secularism and a call for tolerance and freedom of expression, filmed three months before the fall of Ben Ali after the revolutions of the Arab Spring.

When the documentary is released in Tunisia, the director is threatened with death by Islamists, while at the same time she struggles to overcome and overcome the cancer she has been diagnosed with. To portray both struggles, against extremists and against the disease, and to show the consequences and the fear that a film can trigger, Nadia El Fani makes, together with Alina Isabel Perez, Même pas mal (2012).

A year later she directs with Caroline Fourest Elles livrent bataille: Nos seins, nos armes, a documentary about the birth of Femen in Ukraine and its expansion to France in 2012.

NADINE IBRAHIM (Nigeria)

Through the work of her mother, former Minister of Environment of Nigeria and current Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, Nadine has confessed that she became aware of the most disadvantaged sectors of her country and became aware of the deep corruption that Nigeria suffers. At the age of 14 she moved to the United Kingdom and a few years later began studying filmmaking at the University of Gloucestershire. In this country she made her first short film in 2015, Idéar.

In 2017 she was associate producer of the Nigerian film Hakkunde, directed by Oluseyi Asurf, which narrates the migratory process of a young man from Lagos to Kaduna. In the same year, she founded the multimedia company Naila Media, of which she is executive director, and also directed the short film Through Her Eyes. The short film tells the story of Azeeza, a 12-year-old girl who, after being kidnapped, is forced to become a suicide bomber.

In 2020 he released the documentary Marked, which at 20 minutes long is the longest short film he has ever shot, dealing with scarification in Nigeria, a widespread but taboo practice in the country. In the meantime, he has directed several short fiction films produced by Naila Media such as Tolu or I am not a corrupt, where he also deals with the complicated political panorama of Nigeria in an acidic way.

NANA JANE OPOKU-AGYEMAN (Ghana)

Former Minister of Education (especially for girls and women).

Numerous education-related roles: professor, dean and first vice-chancellor of a public university in Ghana.

Immediate past President of the Forum for African Women Educationalists and Chairperson of the Africa Board.

Major contribution to the development and promotion of quality education in Ghana.

NANA OYE BAMPOE ADDO (Ghana)

Nana Oye Bampoe Addo is a human rights lawyer in Ghana with 30 years’ experience in court practice, human rights advocacy and litigation, gender, governance, and social protection. She has worked with Government as the Minister of Gender Children and Social Protection in Ghana, and with civil society as the Regional Coordinator for the Africa Office of the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative.

As a leading member of Ghana’s civil society movement, she coordinated advocacy for passage of the Right to Information Bill and was a leading member for advocacy for passage of the Domestic Violence Act (2007), Human Trafficking Act, and the Disability Act. At the Africa region level, she was part of the CSOs that advocated for adoption of the Additional Protocol to the African Charter on the Rights of Women.

As a cabinet minister, she led the creation of a formal social protection system in Ghana, and created a Ghana National Household Registry for social protection (the first ever in West Africa).

She strengthened the Ghana legal and policy framework for gender, children, and social protection by leading the adoption of five key Policies and Operational Plans: Gender Policy, Social Protection Policy, Child and Family Welfare Policy, Justice for Children Policy and the School Feeding Policy.

She is passionate about human rights protection, women’s rights, HIV/AIDs, governance, transparency, accountability and protection of key populations.

NANFADIMA MAGASSOUBA (Republic of Guinea)

Women’s rights activist and politician.

Former President of the Guinean National Coalition for Women’s Rights and Citizenship (CONAG-DCF), a coalition recognized as a consultative group by the United Nations.

She was a consultant in charge of studies at the strategy office of the Prime Minister’s Office.

She was Minister of National Solidarity, Women’s Promotion and Childhood.

She was a deputy of the 8th legislature in the National Assembly.

She was President of the Forum of Women Parliamentarians of Guinea.

She was vice-president of the African Committee of Educators for Peace.

She was President of the Intersyndicale des femmes de Guinée.

She was the West African Coordinator of the African Network of Working Women.

NEILA CHAABANE (Tunisia)

Professor of public law.

Tunisian Secretary of State for Women’s, Children’s and Family Affairs (2014-2015).

Responsible for implementing State policy on the promotion of equal rights, economic empowerment of women, the fight against violence, the protection of the most vulnerable, the fight against school drop-out and the promotion of women in rural areas. She was a member of the National Commission for the Investigation of Corruption and Embezzlement (2011-2012).

She is an alternate member for Tunisia at the European Commission for Democracy through Law, the Venice Commission.

Education: Law. Several university positions, including Dean of the Faculty of Legal, Political and Social Sciences, University of Carthage.

NEREA APARICIO (Spain/USA)

Senior Advisor of All in For Development and member of the Board of Directors of All in for Development (Washington D.C).

She directs and supervises international cooperation projects related to local governance and gender-based violence, youth rights, environment and sustainable economic growth, rights of indigenous peoples and vulnerable groups, as well as anti-corruption.

She was Senior Specialist at the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights of the Organization of American States, Director for Latin America and the Caribbean of the American Bar Association’s Rule of Law Initiative, and has worked for the United Nations in Geneva, Guatemala, and Colombia.

Nerea Aparicio holds a law degree from the University of Deusto and a Master’s degree in International Legal Studies (LL.M) from the Washington College of Law of the American University (Washington D.C.).

NETUMBO NANDI NDAITWAH (Namibia)

1991-1994: President of the National Women’s Organization of Namibia.

1996-2000: Director General of Women’s Affairs in the Office of the President. Then Minister of Women’s Affairs and Child Welfare.

2005-2010: Minister of Information and Technology.

2010-2012: Minister of Environment and Tourism.

2012 – Current: Minister of International Relations and Cooperation of Namibia.

2015 – Current: Deputy Prime Minister of Namibia (first woman to hold that position).

Also a member of Namibia’s ruling party, SWAPO Party, Serving the Party as the Vice President (First woman to hold this Position) and the National Assembly.

NOROARISOA S. RAVAOZANANY (Madagascar)

President of the Focus Development Association. Sociologist, gender specialist and qualitative research. International consultant for French-speaking countries.

2009: Founder of the Movement promoting gender in politics and development (VMLF) and member of the national board.

2012: President of the National Council of Women of Madagascar.

2014: Coordinator of the project Prevention and Reduction of Statelessness in Madagascar.

2017: Member of coordination of the Réseau Francophone pour l’Egalité Homme-Femme.

2021: Co-leader of the Coalition Mouvement et leadership féministes in Madagascar.

Theme: gender mainstreaming in public policies, governance, education, public health. Fight against discrimination and gender-based violence.

OBIAGELI “OBY” KATRYN EZEKWESILI (Nigeria)

Obiageli “Oby” Katryn Ezekwesili an Economic Policy Expert is Senior Economic Adviser of the Africa Economic Development Policy Initiative and one of co-founders and pioneer directors of Transparency International-TI. Ezekwesili is currently also the Founder-CEO of Human Capital África (HCA). Ezekwesili is the Founder-Chairperson of the Board of SPPG in Abuja, Nigeria.

She was a candidate for office of the President of Nigeria in the 2019 election and became the Founder-Chairperson of #FixPolitics Initiative. Ezekwesili was a Vice President of World Bank- Africa Region in Washington DC between 2007 and 2012. She served in the Government of Nigeria between 2000 and 2007 holding different positions as Minister of Minerals and of Education, among others.

Ezekwesili also worked as the Director of the Harvard-Nigeria Economic Strategy Project at the Center for International Development. Ezekwesili has received numerous awards and was recognized as one of Time-100 Most Influential People. The Peace Research Institute Oslo listed her as one of potential candidates for the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize.

OTIKO AFISAH DJABA (Ghana)

Otiko is an Activist and the Voice of Ghanaian girls, women and persons with disability to scale up gender and disability equity, equality and inclusion. Currently, she is the Executive Director and Founder of Henry Djaba Memorial Foundation, Accra, Ghana.

She has an honorary doctorate from Alfred Nobel University of Ukraine for Humanitarian Services, 2020 Ghana Leadership for Excellent Achievement & Heroes of Africa Award with over 30 years’ experience as an advocate, feminist, trainer and grassroots mobilizer. She is a remarkable change agent for in particular persons with disability, vulnerable girls and women.

As the 2017 Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, she has been actively involved at the national and international level in the development of gender responsive strategies, policy influencing and formulation of inclusive, equity and equality development, leadership training initiatives, entrepreneurship skills training and empowerment, as well as advocacy campaign for vulnerable persons with disability, girls, women, and children.

OTILIA INÉS LUX GARCÍA DE COTÍ (Guatemala)

Graduate in Educational Administration. Maya K’iche’/Guatemalan woman.

Advisor to MADRE for indigenous women based in New York, as well as of the Emblematic Indigenous Women’s Program of the Indigenous Fund of Latin America and the Caribbean, FILAC. Member of the Latin American and Caribbean Advisory Group for UN Women in Latin America and the Caribbean and Guatemala.

She was a member of the Historical Clarification Commission on the violation of human rights and acts of violence in Guatemala. Former Member of the Congress of the Republic of Guatemala. Former Minister of Culture and Sports of Guatemala. Former representative of Guatemala to the Executive Board of UNESCO.

She was also an expert on Indigenous Peoples at the United Nations in the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.

OUMOU SALL SECK (Mali)

Elected woman Mayor of the Urban Commune of Goundam in the northern part of Mali in 2004, 2009 and 2016.

Committed to promoting the role of women in society and politics in Mali.

Addresses children’s and women’s issues in her electoral manifesto.

Founder and Coordinator of the Trait d’Union Movement for social cohesion in Mali, she campaigns for the reconstruction of peace in Mali and the Sahel.

In 2015, she was appointed expert to the High Representative of the President of the Republic for the inclusive Internal-Malian dialogue in Algiers, and participated in the entire negotiation process for peace and reconciliation.

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Mali in Germany since 2018.

RASMATA COMPAORE (Burkina Faso)

Mayor of the 12th district of the city of Ouagadougou from June 2016 to February 2022.

Former President of the caucus of local elected women of Burkina.

Former deputy secretary in charge of external relations of the Association of Municipalities of Burkina Faso (AMBF).

REBECA GRYNSPAN (Costa Rica)

Ibero-American Secretary General at the Extraordinary Meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs in 2014. Secretary General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development in 2021.

Vice-President of Costa Rica from 1994 to 1998.

Minister of Housing, Coordinating Minister of Economic and Social Affairs, Vice-Minister of Finance.

Member of the High Level Panel on Financing for Development in 2001. Recognised advocate of human development.

Topics: inequality and poverty reduction, gender equity, South-South cooperation as an instrument for development and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, etc.

REMI SONAIYA (Nigeria)

Professor of French Language and Linguistics, politician and writer.

She is well known for her career in Education. First Nigerian Ambassador Scientist of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (Germany).

Only female candidate in the 2015 Presidential elections in Nigeria and first Nigerian woman to participate in the presidential campaign and election debate.

Her books include “A Trust to Earn – Reflections on Life and Leadership in Nigeria” (2010); “Daybreak Nigeria – This Nation Must Rise!” (2014); and “One Woman’s Race” (2018), which is an account of her presidential campaign.

Member of the Project Drafting Committee for the Establishment of the Nigerian French Language Village (1990), and currently Chairman of the Governing Council.

First National Public Relations Officer of KOWA Party.

ROSEBELL KAGUMIRE (Uganda)

Rosebell is a writer, campaigner, award-winning blogger, pan-African feminist and multimedia communications strategist. She is the current curator & editor of AfricanFeminism.com. She has expertise in human rights, gender, peace and conflict issues.  Her writing appears in international media like The Guardian, Al Jazeera, Quartz etc.

She has worked as the Africa communications officer for Women’s Link Worldwide, covering Eastern African and African human rights mechanisms, laid strategies for communicating issues ranging from sexual violence, human trafficking, sexual and reproductive rights and discrimination. The World Economic Forum recognized her among Young Global Leaders under 40 in 2013.

She studied Mass Communication at Makerere University, Non-violent conflict at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University and holds a Masters in Media, Peace and Conflict studies from the United Nations mandated University for Peace in Costa Rica.

SAMIA MELKI FESSI (Tunisia)

President of the association Kadirat pour la Parité et l’Égalité and member of the steering committee of the solidarity network of African women’s organizations.

Samia has been working for over thirty years to improve the condition of women by acting on discriminatory laws in Tunisia, Africa and the Arab region.

Topics: protection, parity, peace, successful democratic transition.

Objective: To fight for governments to harmonize their national laws with the provisions of regional and international conventions on women’s rights.

SECELELA BALISIDYA (Tanzania)

Secelela Balisidya is an award-winning communication specialist having more than 20 years experience in presenting messages through various forms of communication. Most of her career has been spent in communication management working as a consultant to UN Agencies, NGOs, academic institutions, Government and international organizations.

Secelela has been able to interact with all levels of people and work together to address their communications needs and challenges. Secelela has produced print and online news and feature stories for gender, environment, natural resources, energy, health, and different features focusing on women.

She holds an Advanced Diploma in Journalism and Mass Communications with a first-class pass, a Postgraduate in Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development from the University of Dar Es Salaam, and a master’s degree in Business Administration of the University of Dar es Salaam Business School (UDBS).

SOPHIA A. N. WAMBURA (Tanzania)

Retired Judge of the High Court of Tanzania and President of the East African Judges and Magistrates Association [EAMJA] Law and Justice.

Retired as a Judge In charge of the High Court Labour Division in October, 2020 after serving as both a Resident Magistrate, Registrar and Judge in the Judiciary of Tanzania for almost 35 years.

Judge Wambura is a Trainer of Trainers in Human Rights and specifically Women and Children’s Rights; Juvenile Justice; Labour Laws and Judgment Writing.  She also Mentors young female Lawyers and Magistrates.

Currently she is a Registered Arbitrator, Non Practicing Advocate and a Legal Consultant. With her colleagues they are now developing a Training of Trainers Manual on Gender Based Violence for Judicial Officers. Apart from being the President of EAMJA she is also a Member of The International Association of Women Judges (IAWJ) Commonwealth Magistrates and Judges Association, (CMJA) and Tanzania Women Judges Association (TAWJA).

SUZI BARBOSA (Guinea-Bissau)

Guinean-Bissau politician, Member of Parliament and Coordinator of the Committee of Women Parliamentarians of Guinea-Bissau.

Advocate for women’s participation in national political affairs.

Part of the feminist movement that avoided voting in elections if women were not on the list of contestants.

Equal opportunities for women and men, especially in decision-making positions.

2017: Delegate at the first conference of the Women’s Circle of the National Assembly in Quebec City, composed of politicians from French-speaking countries, gathered to build capacity for women world leaders.

SVIATLANA TSIKHANOUSKAYA (Belarus)

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya is the leader of the Belarusian democratic forces who independent observers agree won the presidential election on August 9, 2020, against the autocratic President Aliaksandr Lukashenka.

As the leader of the Belarusian democratic movement, she has visited 26 countries, gathering support and advocating for the release of 1000+ political prisoners and a peaceful transition of power through free and fair elections.

In meetings with President Biden, Chancellor Merkel, President Macron, President von der Leyen, and other world leaders, Tsikhanouskaya emphasized the need for a braver response to the actions of the Belarusian dictatorship.

In 2020–2022, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya became a symbol of the peaceful struggle for democracy and strong female leadership. Among dozens of distinctions, she is a recipient of the Sakharov Prize awarded by the European Parliament, 2022 International Four Freedoms Award, and Charlemagne Prize.

In 2021 and 2022, she was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda and Members of the Norwegian Parliament respectively.

SYLVIA BLYDEN (Sierra Leona)

Journalist.

2013-2015: personal assistant to the President of the country.

2016-2017: former minister of social welfare, gender and children’s affairs.

Known as the only female news editor in her country (in her own publishing house).

Known as a master female political figure in Sierra Leone.

Women’s and children’s rights activist.

1995: Elected to represent young women at the United Nations Women’s Confab in Beijing.