Abena Afari

Abena Afari is a governance, gender equality and human rights specialist with over 20 years’ experience spanning international development, public policy, health, economic justice and climate action.

She has worked extensively with government, development partners, civil society organisations and multilateral institutions across Africa, providing policy advice, programme leadership and support to strengthen accountability, inclusive governance and the delivery of development outcomes. Her experience includes work on gender equality and women’s empowerment, sexual and reproductive health and rights, public financial accountability, domestic resource mobilisation, climate justice and environmental and social safeguards.

Abena began her career working on decentralisation and citizen participation under the USAID-funded Government Accountability Improves Trust (GAIT II) programme in Ghana. She subsequently served with Ipas Ghana, where she coordinated programmes addressing maternal mortality, reproductive health and rights and supported policy engagement. She later joined Christian Aid, where she held progressively senior roles, including International Advocacy Advisor. She also contributed to multi-country humanitarian programme evaluations, including responses to food crises in East Africa.

Abena is a Trustee of Unlimit Health, a global health organisation working to eliminate neglected tropical diseases in sub-Saharan Africa, and she supports the New International Financial & Economic Architecture Panel jointly convened by the World Council of Churches and Partners.

She joined GALVmed’s Board in September 2026.