The Team
The Gender Center was formed by four women human rights activists who, in the period after the Vienna Conference on Human Rights and processes leading up to the Beijing Conference found a gap in the availability of data and information to support assertions about women’s human rights issues to the many women’s groups operating in the country.
Our Founding Members
Lawyer | Women's Rights Activist
Ms. Emelia Adjepong
Ms. Emelia Adjepong is a lawyer by profession and a women’s rights activist. She started her legal career in the legal department of Volta River Authority (VRA). She left after several years to take over management of her father’s company, Ayrton Drug Manufacturing Company when her father passed away. During this
Lawyer | Social Activist
Joana Foster
Joana Foster was educated in Ghana and the United Kingdom. She qualified to practice as a lawyer in both countries. A social activist for over 30 years, Joana Foster worked most of her adult life in the United Kingdom as a law lecturer in various colleges and a practicing lawyer specializing
Lawyer | Social Activist
Professor Akua Kuenyehia
Professor Akua Kuenyehia is a Ghanaian Lawyer who served as a judge of the International Criminal Court from 2003 to 2015. Prof. Kuenyehia was educated at the University of Ghana, Legon, and Oxford University. She spent most of her professional career teaching at the Faculty of Law in the University of
Executive Director | Lawyer | Social Activist
Mrs Dorcas Coker-Appiah
Mrs. Dorcas Coker-Appiah is a lawyer by profession. She started her professional career at the Attorney-General’s Department as a State Attorney. She left to join the State Hotels Corporation as the Solicitor Secretary. As an active member of FIDA Ghana, she served as President from 1992 to 1994. As a legal
Our Board Members
Lawyer | Social Activist
Professor Akua Kuenyehia
Professor Akua Kuenyehia is a Ghanaian Lawyer who served as a judge of the International Criminal Court from 2003 to 2015. Prof. Kuenyehia was educated at the University of Ghana, Legon, and Oxford University. She spent most of her professional career teaching at the Faculty of Law in the University of
Executive Director | Lawyer | Social Activist
Mrs Dorcas Coker-Appiah
Mrs. Dorcas Coker-Appiah is a lawyer by profession. She started her professional career at the Attorney-General’s Department as a State Attorney. She left to join the State Hotels Corporation as the Solicitor Secretary. As an active member of FIDA Ghana, she served as President from 1992 to 1994. As a legal
Development Practitioner
Yaa Peprah Agyeman Amekudzi
Yaa Peprah Agyeman Amekudzi is a Development Worker by profession and recently retired as the Country Lead of the Mondelēz International’s Cocoa Life Program in Ghana. Yaa holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration; a Diploma in Communications; a Master of Public Health Degree; a Certificate in Gestalt
Population and Development Specialist
Marilyn Aniwa
Marilyn Aniwa is a Population and Development Specialist with over twenty-five years of development experience. Marilyn holds a Post-Graduate Diploma in Population and Development from the Institute of Social Studies, The Hague, Netherlands; a Master of Arts degree in Population Studies, from the Regional Institute of Population Studies; and a Bachelor
Finance Manager
Akua Amoah-Boateng
Akua Amoah-Boateng is the Finance Manager for World Cocoa Foundation’s (WCF) African Cocoa Initiative and manages Finance and Administration in the Accra Office. Over the last eighteen years, she has acquired audit and consultancy experience from PricewaterhouseCoopers as well as Emmanuel Koram and Associates. Akua also worked with USAID West Africa
Our Staff
Executive Director | Lawyer | Social Activist
Mrs Dorcas Coker-Appiah
Mrs. Dorcas Coker-Appiah is a lawyer by profession. She started her professional career at the Attorney-General’s Department as a State Attorney. She left to join the State Hotels Corporation as the Solicitor Secretary. As an active member of FIDA Ghana, she served as President from 1992 to 1994. As a legal
Programmes Manager
Deborah Tayo Akakpo
Deborah joined GSHRDC in 2020. Before her position as Programmes Manager, she had worked in several leadership capacities with National, International NGOs and Corporate organisations. Her experience includes working as the Senior Aftercare Casework Manager with the International Justice Mission (IJM), the National Coordinator of the Gender Violence Survivor Support Network
Finance & Admin Manager
Annabelle Akuki Azu
Annabelle is responsible for the finance and administrative department of the Centre. She has over 15 years of experience in NGO Financial Management. Annabelle holds an MBA in Finance from the University of Ghana, Legon and a degree in Business Administration from the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration
Project Officer
Esther Darko-Mensah
Esther joined GSHRDC in 1997. She has over twenty-four years of working experience in training and facilitating Gender, as well as Human and Women’s Rights, Advocacy, Leadership, Alternate Dispute Resolution, and Family Laws. She has vast knowledge in Human and Women’s Rights Documentation and Information Handling. Esther is the Head Facilitator
Project Officer
Adoma Afful-Kwaw
Adoma has been with the Gender Centre as a Project Officer since September 2020. She got her start in project management through working with non-profits. Adoma worked with the Olinga Foundation for Human Development as a Safeguarding and Child Protection Officer. She worked in programmes and projects with ActionAid between 2017
Finance Officer
Kwabena Darko-Asare
Kwabena, joined GSHRDC in 2020. He works within the Finance and Administration department. He holds a Diploma in Business Studies (Accounting Option) from the Koforidua Technical University. Kwabena before joining the Centre worked with a micro finance institution.
Office Assistant
Gladys Addo
Gladys joined GSHRDC in January 2005. She is responsible for the general cleaning of the office. She manages program logistics and provides administrative and programmatic support to staff.
Interns & Volunteers
Intern
Obaa Yaa Aninwaa Yeboah
Aninwaa has a Bachelor of Arts in Geography and is currently acquiring her Masters in Development Studies, with a concentration in Cities Mobilities and Spaces and a minor in Gender Studies. She previously interned at the Institute of Humanitarian Affairs, Fordham University, and the African Women’s Development Fund. She has always
Intern
Adobea Addo-Ashong
Adobea has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, with a concentration in International Politics which she obtained from Emory University, where she also minored in History. She has previously interned at Ethiopiaid Ireland, a charitable international development organization, as well as the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) in