Naana Otoo-Oyortey is an Ghanaian social activist, the Executive Director of the

Foundation for Women's Health, Research and Development The Foundation for Women's Health, Research and Development (FORWARD) is a British NGO, founded in 1983 by Efua Dorkenoo, that supports women who have experienced female genital mutilation (FGM) and tries to eliminate the practice. History FORWARD ...

Early life and education

Otoo-Oyortey was born in Ghana. She completed a master's of philosophy at the

University of Sussex , mottoeng = Be Still and Know , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £14.4 million (2020) , budget = £319.6 million (2019–20) , chancellor = Sanjeev Bhaskar , vice_chancellor = Sasha Roseneil , ...

. She was a member of the

Institute of Development Studies The Institute of Development Studies (IDS) is a think tank affiliated with the University of Sussex in Brighton, England, and based on its campus in Falmer, East Sussex. It delivers research and teaching in the area of development studies, an ...

, where she worked on gender issues in

Ghana Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...

Career

Otoo-Oyortey worked at the

International Planned Parenthood Federation The International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) is a global non-governmental organisation with the broad aims of promoting sexual and reproductive health, and advocating the right of individuals to make their own choices in family p ...

, where she investigated

child marriage Child marriage is a marriage or similar union, formal or informal, between a child under a certain age – typically 18 years – and an adult or another child. * * * * The vast majority of child marriages are between a female child and a ma ...

and poverty. She believes that to achieve

gender equality Gender equality, also known as sexual equality or equality of the sexes, is the state of equal ease of access to resources and opportunities regardless of gender, including economic participation and decision-making; and the state of valuing d ...

the world must address

violence against women Violence against women (VAW), also known as gender-based violence and sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), are violent acts primarily or exclusively committed against women or girls, usually by men or boys. Such violence is often consi ...

and the socio-cultural norms that accept this behaviour. She is concerned that

domestic violence Domestic violence (also known as domestic abuse or family violence) is violence or other abuse that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage or cohabitation. ''Domestic violence'' is often used as a synonym for ''intimate partner ...

results in women not protecting themselves from

sexually transmitted infection Sexually transmitted infections (STIs), also referred to as sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and the older term venereal diseases, are infections that are Transmission (medicine), spread by Human sexual activity, sexual activity, especi ...

s. Otoo-Oyortey joined the

African Diaspora The African diaspora is the worldwide collection of communities descended from native Africans or people from Africa, predominantly in the Americas. The term most commonly refers to the descendants of the West and Central Africans who were e ...

women-led nonprofit

(

FORWARD Forward is a relative direction, the opposite of backward. Forward may also refer to: People * Forward (surname) Sports * Forward (association football) * Forward (basketball), including: ** Point forward ** Power forward (basketball) ** Sm ...

) in 1998, invited by the founder,

Efua Dorkenoo Efua Dorkenoo, OBE (6 September 1949 – 18 October 2014), affectionately known as "Mama Efua",

. FORWARD is the lead agency working to end

female genital mutilation Female genital mutilation (FGM), also known as female genital cutting, female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) and female circumcision, is the ritual cutting or removal of some or all of the external female genitalia. The practice is found ...

(

FGM Female genital mutilation (FGM), also known as female genital cutting, female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) and female circumcision, is the ritual cutting or removal of some or all of the external female genitalia. The practice is found ...

) in the UK. She is now executive director of the organization, and has led training initiatives for in Swahili and

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

for girls to become innovators against gender-based violence. With FORWARD Otoo-Oyortey has conducted an

ethnographic Ethnography (from Greek ''ethnos'' "folk, people, nation" and ''grapho'' "I write") is a branch of anthropology and the systematic study of individual cultures. Ethnography explores cultural phenomena from the point of view of the subject o ...

study into the experiences of people affected by

. In 2009 Otoo-Oyortey was honoured in the

2008 Birthday Honours The Queen's Birthday Honours 2008 were appointments by some of the 16 Commonwealth realms to various orders and honours to recognise and reward good works by citizens of those countries. The Birthday Honours are awarded as part of the Queen's Off ...

for "services to Human Rights Issues for Women". left, Launch of the annual report of Women's Participation in Decision-Making & Leadership decade. With Justina Mutale, Rainatou_Sow,_Naana_Otoo-Oyortey_and_Dr_

Rainatou_Sow,_Naana_Otoo-Oyortey_and_Dr_Anouka_van_Eerdewijk_">Anouka_van_Eerdewijk.html"_;"title="Rainatou_Sow,_Naana_Otoo-Oyortey_and_Dr_Anouka_van_Eerdewijk">Rainatou_Sow,_Naana_Otoo-Oyortey_and_Dr_Anouka_van_Eerdewijk_ In_2014_Otoo-Oyortey_gave_a_TED_(conference).html" "title="Anouka_van_Eerdewijk_.html" ;"title="Anouka_van_Eerdewijk.html" ;"title="Rainatou Sow, Naana Otoo-Oyortey and Dr Anouka van Eerdewijk">Rainatou Sow, Naana Otoo-Oyortey and Dr Anouka van Eerdewijk ">Anouka_van_Eerdewijk.html" ;"title="Rainatou Sow, Naana Otoo-Oyortey and Dr Anouka van Eerdewijk">Rainatou Sow, Naana Otoo-Oyortey and Dr Anouka van Eerdewijk In 2014 Otoo-Oyortey gave a TED (conference)">TEDx TED Conferences, LLC (Technology, Entertainment, Design) is an American-Canadian non-profit media organization that posts international talks online for free distribution under the slogan "ideas worth spreading". TED was founded by Richard Sau ...

talk about women's rights and

. That year she was included in the Evening Standard's list of London's most influential people. She was part of the London Girl Summit in 2014, inviting two young African campaigners who are fighting to end child marriage in Ethiopia and Tanzania. She joined the UCLH to open the

paediatric clinic. In 2016

was part of an end

march in Bristol, which Otoo-Oyortey described as a "quiet revolution". She has discussed her campaigning on

Woman's Hour ''Woman's Hour'' is a radio magazine programme broadcast in the United Kingdom on the BBC Light Programme, BBC Radio 2, and later BBC Radio 4. It has been on the air since 1946. History Created by Norman Collins and originally presented by A ...

and at the International Observatory of Human Rights. She is the President of the Board of the European End FGM Network and on the Board of Trustees of

ACORD The Association for Cooperative Operations Research and Development (ACORD) is a non-profit organization in the insurance industry. ACORD publishes and maintains an archive of standardized forms. ACORD has also developed a comprehensive library of ...

References

{{reflist Ghanaian women activists Activists against female genital mutilation