Olufunke Baruwa
Tribute
Between advising on gender justice at the Ford Foundation and raising two daughters in Nigeria, we honour how Olufunke Baruwa has shown that the personal and political aspects of motherhood are inseparably intertwined. Beyond her advocacy work, we celebrate the research conducted on gender gaps and the equally diligent attention paid to development milestones at home, the systems changed professionally, the daily routines established in her home, and the feminist who knows her most important activism happens when girls see their unlimited potential reflected in their mother's eyes.
Profile
Olufunke Baruwa is a gender and development practitioner, feminist, and public speaker who has dedicated over two decades to promoting women’s rights and social inclusion. She currently serves as the Program Officer for Gender, Racial, and Ethnic Justice at the Ford Foundation’s West Africa Office. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Abuja and an MBA from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Furthering her expertise, she pursued postgraduate studies in public policy, management, and gender at institutions including the University of East Anglia, University of York, and University of Sussex, where she earned an MA in Corruption and Governance in 2022. Throughout her career, Olufunke has held significant positions such as Program Officer at the National Poverty Eradication Programme, Gender Advisor at the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on MDGs, and Technical Assistant on Research, Policy, and Planning at the Ministry of Communication Technology. From 2015 to 2018, she served as the CEO of the Nigerian Women’s Trust Fund, focusing on enhancing women’s participation in politics and decision-making. She later joined USAID as the Civil Society and Media Specialist in the Peace & Democratic Governance Office. Olufunke is a mom to two daughters.