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Ghana LAWA Fellow 1995-1996
B.A. Hons., University of Ghana - 1987
B.L., Ghana School of Law - 1990 L.L.M.,
Georgetown University Law Center- 1996
Diploma in International Human Rights Law, Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, University of Lund, Sweden - 1998
President
Women Assistance & Business Association
P.O. Box 13039
Accra-North, Ghana
Work Phone and Fax: 00.233.21.518530
Email: gloriaob2002@yahoo.com
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Affiliations:
FIDA-Ghana
WABA-Ghana
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Profile:
In June 1996, Ms. Ofori-Boadu founded the Women’s Assistance & Business Agency (WABA), an organization whose current membership stands at over 1,200 women. As Executive Director and President of WABA, Ms. Ofori-Boadu has initiated and supervised the training of over 600 women leaders in Democracy and Human Rights Education, over 180 adolescents as Peer Educators, over 160 women in self-employment skills, all efforts she continues today.
WABA operates in four program areas: the Institute for Democracy and Human Rights Education, which increases education and leadership skills of grassroots women’s groups and individuals affiliated with the government; the Future Leaders of Ghana program, which trains adolescents in leadership, advocacy and life planning skills; the Economic Empowerment Programs, which provide micro-credit and revolving funds to rural and peri-urban women cooperatives; and the Organizational Development Program, which develops the resources, libraries and conferences for WABA.
LAWA Experience
During her LAWA fellowship, Ms. Ofori-Boadu completed her graduate thesis, “Ghanian Women, the Law and Economic Power,” in which she discusses how laws can be used as a means to provide economic and legal resources to Ghanian women, who were independent in their traditional culture but in contemporary society, due to colonialism and post-colonial policies, are no longer so.
Following graduation, she pursued her fellowship internship with U.S. Representative Eva Clayton (1st District, North Carolina). During her internship, Ms. Ofori-Boadu participated in the First Global Women Investment Forum and Trade Fair Conference, presenting two papers at the conference and participating in drafting the conference document adopted by the group. The theme of the conference was Foreign Private Direct Investment in Women’s Businesses for Economic Recovery and Development in Africa. She volunteered for President Bill Clinton’s successful 1996 campaign for re-election as President of the United States.
Additional Experience
Ms. Ofori-Boadu returned to Ghana after her fellowship to work in a local law firm. She gave presentations in 1996 and 1997, including a two day workshop for women parliamentarians, regarding women’s issues and how advocates can better address the media regarding these issues. She has attended over thirty conferences and lectures worldwide regarding women’s and human rights development.
Ms. Ofori-Boadu is a founding member of UNIWAF (United Women’s Front), a non-governmental organization formed to promote the social, economic and civic advancement of Ghanaian women. In 2000, she participated in drafting the Domestic Violence Bill for the Republic of Ghana. In addition, she was the Executive Director of the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA-Ghana) from 1999-2003.
Ms. Ofori-Boadu served as the Elected Assembly Member for the Adenta and Frafraha electoral area in Accra from 2002-2006. And, in 2005, Ms. Ofori-Boadu was appointed by the President of Ghana to the National African Peer Review Mechanism Governing Council (NAPRM-GC); she continues this work today.
Recognition:
Ms. Ofori-Boadu was nominated for the Women’s Empowerment category of the Millenium Excellence Awards, Ghana in August 2005.
In 1988, Ms. Ofori-Boadu received an award from Business and Professional Women (BPW) Ghana in recognition of exemplary leadership of FIDA-Ghana.
Publications:
Published, in conjunction with Fitnat Adjetey, the FIDA Handbook on Domestic Violence in Ghana in 2000.
The Rights of the Ghanaian Child (GTZ sponsored) (2001)
The Rights of the Ghanaian Woman (Human Rights Project Fund ) (2002)
Election Campaign and Fundraising Strategies (Nov. 2004)
WABA Trainers Handbook on Democracy and Human Rights Education
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