Faiza Mohamed stepping off role as Equality Now Africa Director

After 26 years of dedicated service to Equality Now, Faiza Jama Mohamed will be stepping off  her role as Africa Director. Faiza is passing the baton to a strong team of regional leaders whom many of you already know: Judy Gitau, Associate Director, East & Central Africa; Sally Ncube, Regional Representative, Southern Africa; and Esther Waweru, Associate Director, Legal Equality, together with a growing network of local and global colleagues shaping work across the continent, who will continue to sustain the work she seeded more than two decades ago.

When Faiza established Equality Now’s presence in Nairobi in 2000, the organization was small, the ambition was bold, and the challenges facing women and girls across Africa were vast. Over the years, she built not only an office, but a way of working grounded in partnership, accountability, and a deep belief that legal change must be shaped by the lived realities of women and girls. She championed innovative ideas and led the Africa team for 26 years with vision and resolve.

In her words:

This was an important journey for me. It was a blend of many things: enriching, exciting, impactful and challenging as well. I have had the privilege of working alongside colleagues, partners, and survivors whose courage and resilience shaped every victory we achieved together. I am confident that the foundations we built will continue to advance justice, dignity, and equality for women and girls for generations to come.

Among Faiza’s most significant achievements is her leadership in strengthening regional advocacy around the Maputo Protocol, the landmark African treaty on women’s rights. She led convenings alongside African feminists and civil society, including the SOAWR (Solidarity for African Women’s Rights) coalition, to promote its ratification, domestication, and use as a living tool for accountability. To date, 46 of the 55 African Union member states have ratified the Protocol; 22 countries have met their reporting obligations; national courts in at least 10 countries are referencing the Maputo Protocol; and African regional mechanisms have cited it in cases concerning seven countries.

Faiza also expanded Equality Now’s sustained work across Africa to challenge female genital mutilation, child marriage, and to strengthen accountability for sexual violence, including in Kenya, demonstrating how regional and national advocacy can reinforce one another.

A defining feature of Faiza’s leadership has been her insistence on centering African feminist leadership and regional expertise in spaces that have not always made room for it. She consistently pushed for advocacy led from the continent, ensuring regional voices helped shape global agendas.

Faiza’s leadership has shaped Equality Now in ways that go far beyond structures or strategies. She has shown what determined, feminist, regionally rooted leadership looks like – courageous, committed, and anchored in justice. We are deeply grateful for Faiza’s invaluable contributions, which will continue to influence the organization in the years to come. On behalf of the Board of Trustees, Equality Now’s global staff teams, and the many partners, advocates, and survivors whose lives have been touched by her work, we thank Faiza for all she has contributed and for the many lives that have felt her impact.

Patricia Amira, Board Chair, Equality Now Africa              S. Mona Sinha, Chief Executive Officer, Equality Now