Judith Darkey-Nanor appointed special advisor for YAWC West Africa

Founder and Executive Director of the Gold Hearted Foundation, Judith Kafui Darkey-Nanor, has been appointed as Special Advisor for the West Africa Sub Regional Chapters of the Young African Women Congress (YAWC) Network.

Her appointment, which is for a period of two years renewable upon completion of a tenure, was contained in a letter addressed to her by the Founder and Executive Chairperson of the Network, Mr. Daniel Osei Tuffuor, in which he commended her on her appointment and wished her well in her new role.

The YAWC Network is a confederation of young women of African descent in Africa and in the diaspora who seek to be empowered and be themselves, change-makers for leadership and development on the continent.

At the heart of its mandate, the Network indulges itself in the mobilisation of women from the grassroots level for leadership and development through advocacy, training and projects.

As the Special Advisor for the West Africa Sub Regional Chapters, Ms Darkey-Nanor will serve as a key consultant and strategic advisor to chapter leadership on matters related to the growth of the network in the subregion.

This position will focus on providing in-depth analysis, offering recommendations, and guiding policy decisions to strengthen the chapters in the subregion.

Additionally, she is expected to, as part of her key responsibilities, provide expert advice on key regional issues, including economic development, governance, peace, security, and social cohesion; work closely with leadership to develop and implement strategies toaddress challenges specific to the women in the subregion; represent the Network at regional meetings, conferences, and other high- level discussions; and facilitate dialogues between stakeholders to promote mutual understanding and resolve regional issues.

She is also expected to provide expertise in formulating and advocating for programs that reflect the subregion’s needs and contribute to sustainable development, offer expert counsel on crisis management in times of conflict, natural disasters, or political instability; while providing guidance and mentorship to Chapter leaders across the subregion to enhance their operational and strategic capacities.

Profile of Judith Kafui Darkey-Nanor

Currently serving as the Executive Director of the Gold Hearted Foundation, Judith Kafui Darkey-Nanor comes on board with an extensive experience in social and humanitarian work.

With a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Psychology, and a Master of Philosophy in Social Work from the University of Ghana, she is dedicated to advancing gender and children’s issues to foster positive transformational impacts.

Through her Foundation, Ms Darkey-Nanor has led her team in restoring hope to hundreds of Ghanaian girls whose education was threatened by menstrual period poverty.

Over the past two years, these girls have received annual supplies of menstrual sanitary products, personal care and hygiene products, adolescent reproductive and sexual health education, and capacity building and empowerment sensitizations.

Under her leadership, her passion for child welfare has also inspired an initiative to secure the “freedom of child hospital prisoners” in Ghana, where the medical bills of detained children are paid to facilitate their release.

She has also served as a Technical Assistant to Ghana’s flagship Social Protection Programme – the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) programme – for over two and a half years. During this time, she contributed to developing a robust and effective case management system to address beneficiary concerns and maintain updated and accurate household data.

She also worked at Bulk Oil Distribution and Transportation (BOST) Ltd. Co., in the Corporate Communication and External Affairs Departments, including the Corporate Social Responsibility Unit, where she played a key role in enhancing the company’s strategic and positive brand image.

Since joining YAWC, Ms Darkey-Nanor has been an active member, serving in the immediate past administrative term on two global committees: The Global Girl Child Education and Global Projects and Campaign Committees. She was a prominent advocate in YAWC’s campaign against Female Genital Mutilation in March 2024.

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