Lydia Maclean is the Communications Specialist at the African Women’s Development Fund and leads in developing and maintaining external narratives relating to the issues and achievements of African women and their organisations in feminist philanthropy. Prior to joining AWDF, she worked with A-Plus Life Assurance (Now Exceed Life Assurance) as Customer Service and Public Relations Manager where she led in the branding and launch of the organisation. She also previously served as Communications Manager with the Ghana Red Cross Society.

Lydia holds a Masters in International Development from Andrews University, Michigan; a Bachelor of Arts in Modern Languages from the University of Ghana, and a Certificate in Advertising, Marketing and Public Relations from the Ghana Institute of Journalism.

She serves on the board of Wonder Kids School, an early learning centre that offers innovative approaches to children’s education.

Leila Yahaya (They/Them) is a Black, Queer, Muslim, feminist, and human rights activist who lives life as a political statement and creates intentional safe spaces to empower LGBTIQ+ folks to exercise and own agency against SGBV and other human rights violations.

They have over seven years of experience in community development and activism in gender, sexual & reproductive health, LGBT+ rights and environmental justice through art and feminism.

They are currently the co-founder and executive director for One Love Sisters Ghana and doubles as the project lead as well as a facilitator for Ghana House.

As a consent/SOGI facilitator whose work is against gender-based violence, they have organized and facilitated/moderated several workshops/community empowerment engagements in more than 7 regions over the years in rural and urban areas of Ghana.

Leila believes in identifying and removing gender inequalities for human rights, economic opportunities and development.

Dr. Esi Awotwi is a Public Health and Development Management specialist. She holds a first degree in Nursing with Psychology, and has acquired Masters and Doctoral degrees in Business Administration, with specialization in Health Services Management and Project Management respectively. She has over fifteen years of experience in the research, planning/development, implementation and analysis of HIV, Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, and gender-related dimensions.

Her extensive experience in the sector has seen her managing and coordinating government and non-government implementing partners, and spearheading the delivery of innovative, multi-sectoral, social change projects and programs that have yielded positive transformational results. She has worked with agencies including: Ghana AIDS Commission, UNFPA, UNICEF, UNAIDS, CoTVET/AfDB/UNDP, WFP, IPPF/PPAG, FIDA Ghana, Alliance for Reproductive Health Rights (ARHR), SWAA Ghana, PAYDP Ghana, AfriYan, Hope for Future Generations (HFFG), Knitweb Foundation, the Ghana Police Service (AIDS Control Unit) and several Regional Coordinating Councils.

Dr Grace is a Medical Doctor with over 8 years’ practice with interest in children and women’s rights activism, leadership, development and public health within the context of international development. She is currently the Deputy CEO and Medical Director at Sonotech Medical and Diagnostic Center.

Dr Grace is a graduate of University of Ghana Medical School (2013) and also holds an EMBA (2018) from the University of Ghana Business School and a Certificate in Leadership and Management in Health from the University of Washington, USA (2020). As an alumnus of the Jacobs-Abbey Global Institute for Leadership (JAGILS) in Washington, Dr Grace holds an Executive Certificate in Strategic Leadership Management (2021) and also Master of Public Health (MPH)2022 from the University of Ghana.

Dr Grace has always had a passion for the vulnerable and marginalized populations in society, particularly adolescent girls, and has been serving as a human rights advocate since childhood. She started child rights advocacy at age 12, when she joined Children and Youth in Broadcasting - Curious Minds and subsequently became the president of Curious Minds from 2005 - 2015. And was nominated by Ghana Outstanding Women’s Awards 2022 for the women in Health Category Award due to her outstanding contribution to women’s health in the area of breast cancer awareness and support for survivors since 2018.

Driven by her passion for serving humanity, Dr Grace says “My greatest fulfilment is to see a world where, children, young people and women are empowered to freely contribute to issues affecting them in an environment that ensures their rights are respected”.

Abena Benewaa is a Project Management and Media Development professional with over 10yrs of experience working in gender justice, specifically on sexual & reproductive health and rights, socio-economic, and leadership and political participation. She is a Media and Information Literacy expert and has in this capacity trained several trained youth groups and individuals. Benewaa is a feminist activist passionate about contributing to achieving a world where women and girls live in dignity, are able to action their rights and realize their fullest potential without any discriminations. 

At the age of 18 she volunteered with Curious Minds, a youth advocacy NGO for 9 years before going on to become staff at the organization. This introduction to youth advocacy led her to working with organizations like Building Bridges (a Dutch youth organization) The African Women’s Development Fund, Deutse Welle Akademie Ghana, and The Cova Project (an Australian non-profit).

In 2015 during her National Service, Benewaa founded Yebetumi not as an organization but a project targeted at mentoring rural girls and inspiring them to dream of and achieve possibilities beyond their immediate environs. Under her leadership as project lead, Yebetumi has over the years implemented several activities in the Central, Ashanti, Bono and Greater Accra Regions and made impact both at the grassroots and national levels.

Benewaa is an active member of Ghana's online feminist community, using her voice and platforms to normalise otherwise taboo conversations especially around women's sexual and reproductive health.