Joan Osa Oviawe with Voices of Edo Women

Joan.Osa Oviawe is the co-Founder and Executive Director of Grace Foundation-Nigeria, an international nonprofit that provides programming to support the empowerment of children youths and women.

Her work experiences are as varied as her interests; spanning several continents including: Africa, North America and Eurasia.  Joan.Osa has extensive experience in community development- through her work with a community development trade association in the U.S. She managed the organization’s annual meetings, convention and Legislative Action Days held at the Massachusetts State House.  She spent some time in the Central Asian country of Kyrgyzstan, where she developed a public relations campaign for a consolidation of four of the largest micro-lending institutions in the Country.

Ms. joan.Osa Oviawe is passionate about Gender and Education issues, in particular, women’s empowerment and improving the quality of public education in Nigeria. She has participated in several global discussions and e-forums on women, they include: “Women, and Political Participation in Africa,” organized by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. “Women and men: equal sharing of responsibilities,” organized by the United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women.  “Global Conversation on Gender Equality in the Post-2015 Development Agenda,” organized by UN Women. “Women and the Economy,” sponsored by the World Bank and UNIFEM.