Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi

Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi
Born (1963-06-11) 11 June 1963
Liverpool, England
Occupation Activist, writer, fundraiser
Known for Co-founding the African Women's Development Fund

Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi (born 11 June 1963) is a Nigerian activist, writer and fundraiser in feminist and human rights movements.[1][2][3][4] She became the First Lady of Ekiti State in western Nigeria in 2011.[5][6]

Education

Adeleye-Fayemi received her bachelor's (BA) and Master's (MA) in History from the University of Ife, now the Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria. She also holds a Master's degree in Gender Studies from the University of Middlesex, UK.[3] According to Adeleye-Fayemi, she became interested in women's contributions to socio-economic development in south-western Nigeria while doing her Masters in History. This prompted her to continue on to a Master's in Gender and Society at Middlesex.[7]

Career

In 2001, Adeleye-Fayemi with Hilda M. Tadria and Joana Foster, founded the African Women's Development Fund (AWDF), the first Africa-wide grantmaking organisation supporting the women's movement in Africa.[8][9] She was appointed its first Executive Director.[10] Between 1991 and 2001, Adeleye-Fayemi was Director of Akina Mama wa Afrika (AMwA), an international development organisation for African women, based in the United Kingdom and with offices in Uganda and Nigeria.[3] During her time at AMwA, she set up the African Women's Leadership Institute (AWLI) which has helped train over 3,000 women leaders in Africa.[4]

Adeleye-Fayemi has been associated with a number of international women's rights and philanthropy organisations, including as Co-Chair of the International Network of Women's Funds, President of the Association for Women's Rights in Development (AWID), and Chair of the International Women's Health Coalition (IWHC).[4] She has also been on the Board of Trustees for Comic Relief (UK).[11]

Leymah Gbowee of Liberia, 2011 Nobel Peace Prize winner, delivered Adeleye-Fayemi's 50th birthday lecture in 2013. Titled "Leading the Change: The Journey of an African Woman", the lecture detailed how Adeleye-Fayemi's support was foundational to Gbowee's work in Liberia, eventually leading to her Nobel Prize. Gbowee talked about how Adeleye-Fayemi, as head of AWDF, had supported the women's peace movement in Liberia in its infancy, saying: “We crave change, but wait for someone to come and save us. Most times, our reluctance to creating change and acting accordingly means that we don’t change perception about us. But, Bisi, you have helped us to achieve change. You have used your position to sew dreams and show that change is possible and helped to set our minds to it. That I won the Nobel prize is because of people like you. That day, you didn’t see me. You saw a sister. Today we say, ‘Thank you. You have helped to set our minds to it.”[12]

Awards and recognition

Adeleye-Fayemi was given the "Changing the Face of Philanthropy" award by the Women's Funding Network in 2007, and was named one of the 20 most influential African women in 2009 by New African magazine.[13][14] In 2011, Women Deliver listed her as one of the top 100 people in the world, advancing the rights of women and girls.[15]

Selected publications

References

  1. ↑ "About Bisi Fayemi". 11 June 1963. Retrieved 21 June 2014.
  2. ↑ "Board". www.awdf.org. Retrieved 21 June 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 "Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi Profile". philanthropyforum.org. Retrieved 21 June 2014.
  4. 1 2 3 "Profile About Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi". Ashoka www.changemakers.com. Retrieved 21 June 2014.
  5. ↑ Bumah, Juliet (15 June 2014). "I want my husband to be a great leader – Erelu Bisi Fayemi". New Telegraph. Retrieved 21 June 2014.
  6. ↑ "Emulate Ekiti governance model —Bisi Fayemi". Nigerian Tribune. 13 May 2014. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
  7. ↑ Adesina, Gbenro (19 June 2013). "The Story of My Life – Erelu Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi, wife of Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State @ 50". hotgistshotnews.blogspot.com. Retrieved 21 June 2014.
  8. ↑ "African Women's Development Fund (AWDF)". Newfield Foundation. Retrieved 5 July 2014.
  9. ↑ "About AWDF 10 Years of Leadership and Empowerment for African Women". www.awdf.org. Retrieved 21 June 2014.
  10. ↑ Waweru, Nduta (17 June 2014). "Nana Darkoa-Seykiamah opens windows to African women's bedrooms". The Star. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 21 June 2014.
  11. ↑ "Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi Profile". philanthropyforum.org. Retrieved 5 July 2014.
  12. 1 2 "Peacemaker Was Here To Fete A Feminist". Punch Nigeria. 18 October 2013. Retrieved 5 July 2014.
  13. ↑ "University for a Night 2011: David Rockefeller Bridging Leadership Award Honorees". Synergos. Retrieved 9 July 2014.
  14. ↑ "Women of Influence". New African. Retrieved 9 July 2014.
  15. ↑ "Women Deliver 100: 26–50". Women Deliver. Retrieved 9 July 2014.
  16. ↑ Adeleye-Fayemi (2013) Speaking Above A Whisper Amandla Consulting, Ibadan, Nigeria.
  17. ↑ Jimoh, Michael (27 October 2013). "First Lady with a Difference". This Day. Retrieved 5 July 2014.
  18. ↑ Ajibade, Kunle (21 October 2013). "Championing the Cause of African Women". City Voice. Retrieved 5 July 2014.
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