About Us

Founder & President

The founder and president of the Women’s Assistance and Business Association (WABA) is Ms. Gloria Ofori-Boadu, a lawyer, women’s rights activist, trainer, former elected local government representative and a former banker. Ms. Ofori-Boadu has been involved in the provision of Legal Aid Services for Women, Children and Society, which is a program of the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) – Ghana, and was the Executive Director FIDA-Ghana for four years from March 1999 to June 2003.

“Auntie Gloria”, as people who know Ms. Ofori-Boadu for her generosity and genuine desire and efforts to help people affectionately refer to her, had her undergraduate and masters studies at the University of Ghana and Georgetown University Law Center, respectively. Auntie Gloria is an alumna of the Leadership and Advocacy for Women in Africa Fellowship. She also had the privilege of working as a Congressional Fellow in the office of Congresswoman Eva Clayton of the U.S. House of Representatives for the First Congressional District of North Carolina. Moreover, Ms. Ofori-Boadu served as the Assemblywoman of Gbentaana Electoral Area (Adenta/Frafraha) in the Tema Municipal Assembly (Ghana) from 2002-2006.

In March 2004, Ms. Ofori-Boadu was appointed by the President of the Republic of Ghana to the 7-member National Governing Council on African Peer Review Mechanism under the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD) Initiative; she is still serving on the Council. Moreover, in August 2005, Ms. Ofori-Boadu was nominated for the Millennium Excellence Award under the Women Empowerment category. In July 2008 she was given the 2nd highest national award “of the officer of the Volta” for distinguished public service.

Ms. Gloria Ofori-Boadu’s complete résumé can be downloaded via this link.

Organizational Information

The Women Assistance & Business Association (WABA) is governed by a seven-member board that gives policy direction and reviews all the activities of the organizational structure and the four major departments. The the Secretariat includes the Project Officer( Research, fundraising, documentation & publication); Assistant Project Officer( Planning & Fundraising); Accounts Officer; Library & Future Leaders of Ghana (FLOG) Program Assistant. An executive president who is also the founder of the organization administers WABA with core staff. WABA also has a pool of part-time staff and volunteers.

Board of Trustees

Gloria Ofori-Boadu

Founder, President, Lawyer & Development Consultant

Agnes Otchere

Businesswoman

Victor Larbi

Managing Director (Donewell Insurance)

Judy Lyons Wolf

Development Consultant

Mary Whyte

Businesswoman

Mrs. Mary Williams

Businesswoman

Nana Ofori Twum

Industrialist

Partners

WABA has had support and collaborated in the past with a number of institutions and organizations including

  • German Development Services (DED)
  • Databank, Registrar General Department
  • Donewell Insurance
  • Micro-Finance Secretariat of the Ministry of Finance
  • British High Commission
  • North American Women’s Association (NAWA)
  • Canada Fund for Local Initiative (CIDA)
  • Center for Development Partnerships (CDP)
  • Mama Cash of the Netherlands
  • Open Society Initiative for Africa (OSIWA)
  • Ghana AIDS Commission
  • Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana (PPAG)
  • Business Sector Advocacy Challenge (BUSAC) – DFID, USAID, DANIDA
  • Ministry for Women and Children Affairs – Ghana
  • Center for Development Partnerships (CDP)
  • African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF)
  • U.S. Embassy Self-Help Initiative
  • U.S. Embassy Democracy and Human Rights Fund
  • Hanns Seidel Foundation
  • CIDA
Internships

WABA provides opportunities for both local and international interns to learn and share first-hand experience with us in all our programs for rural women and children. The following people are among the list of previous interns at WABA:

  • Jessica Akunna – Rutger’s University, USA
  • Erin Rita Donahue – Minnesota Students for International Development, USA
  • Linda Gyedu – Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology, Ghana
  • Sarah Munro – Fordham Law School, USA
  • Nana Esi Nyen – Ohio, USA
  • Jennifer Pope – University of Pennsylvania, USA
  • Joanna Rodgers – Minnesota Students for International Development, USA
  • Helen Ryu – Canada
  • Dr. Lew Shapiro – University of Alaska at Fairbanks, USA
  • Esther Justice Snoeijer – Lawyer, Netherlands
  • Deborah Swerdlow – Germany
    Lore Vanderlinden – Belgium
  • Zara Watkins – Georgetown University Law Center, USA
  • Clement Quaye – JHS leaver now at Presec SHS Ghana
  • Samuel Obeng – JHS leaver now at Adisadel College Ghana
  • Vivian Wei Chang – USA formerly at WACHOVIA
  • Hilda Dapaah – Valley View University Ghana
  • Parisa Kharazi – Rutgers University USA
  • Belinda Donzuo – UDS Ghana, Wa
  • Eric Manela – University of Carlifonia
  • Afia Serwa Kusi Appiah – Ghana School of Law
  • Eyra Fiamanya – Australia
  • Jenna Novak – UK
  • Nastass Garcia – Bentley University USA
  • Latoya Jones – Rutgers University
  • Aurielle H. Goldfarb – Bentley University USA
  • Syto – Fordham University
  • Lew Shapiro – University of Alaska
  • Maame Afua Owusu Kwarteng – University of Ghana
  • Slvie Bissaloue – Université de Paul Cézanne Aix-Marseille III, France