Caroline Kouassiaman
Caroline Kouassiaman | |
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| Citizenship | Ivorian-American |
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Caroline Kouassiaman (also known as B. Caroline Kouassiaman) is an Ivorian-American feminist activist and grantmaker.[1] She directs the Initiative Sankofa d'Afrique de l'Ouest (ISDAO), an organisation that funds feminist, LGBTQI, and social justice movements in West Africa.[1][2][3]
Education
Kouassiaman holds a B.A. in Economics and Diplomacy and World Affairs from Occidental College, and two master's degrees both Public Administration and International Relations from Syracuse University, United States.[1][4]
Career
Kouassiaman has worked in feminist and LGBTQI-focused grantmaking and movement support for more than a decade.[5][6] In 2014, she joined the Global Fund for Women as a Programme Officer, where she supported grantmaking in Sub-Saharan Africa.[7][8] In 2017, she joined the American Jewish World Service (AJWS) as Senior Programme Officer for Sexual Health and Rights.[9] In 2019, Kouassiaman became the first and current executive director of the Initiative Sankofa d'Afrique de l'Ouest (ISDAO).[10][11]
In 2025, Leading Ladies Africa listed Kouassiaman as one of "19 Influential African Women in International Development", alongside Jessica Horn, Hafsat Abiola, and Tsitsi Masiyiwa.[5]
Selected publications
- Kouassiaman, B. Caroline (2022). "Aujourd'hui, c'est aujourd'hui: Navigating power and speaking up as a West African activist-led fund". In Speaking Back, Speaking Black. AiD
- Kouassiaman, Caroline (2019). "Funding unchained: an activist approach to unlocking LGBTQI leadership in West Africa". Alliance Magazine, 17 May 2019.
- Okanlawon, Kehinde; Oguaghamba, Akudo; Kouassiaman, Caroline; and Armisen, Mariam (2012). Struggling Alone: The Lived Realities of Women who have Sex with Women in Burkina Faso, Ghana and Nigeria. Queer African Youth Networking Center (QAYN).
See also
External links
References
- ^ a b c "Caroline Kouassiaman". Voice Global. Retrieved 5 December 2025.
- ^ "Initiative Sankofa d'Afrique de l'Ouest". Equal Eyes. 22 August 2020. Retrieved 5 December 2025.
- ^ "The state of feminist funding in Francophone West Africa". Alliance Magazine. 24 April 2025. Retrieved 5 December 2025.
- ^ "Personnel – ISDAO". Initiative Sankofa d'Afrique de l'Ouest. Retrieved 5 December 2025.
- ^ a b "19 Influential African Women in International Development". Leading Ladies Africa. 1 May 2025. Retrieved 5 December 2025.
- ^ "French-speaking LGBTQ+ activists want Canada to do more to address funding gap". Canadian Press. 9 December 2024. Retrieved 5 December 2025.
- ^ "Move afoot to protect women around the world against violence". New Pittsburgh Courier. 19 June 2014. Retrieved 5 December 2025.
- ^ Melendez, Lyanne (9 May 2014). "Outrage fuels campaign to find missing Nigerian girls". ABC7 News (KGO-TV). Retrieved 20 January 2026.
- ^ "Gender Lens: Sustainable Solutions in Global Health". Pulitzer Center. 9 June 2017. Retrieved 19 January 2026.
- ^ "Funding unchained: an activist approach to unlocking LGBTQI leadership in West Africa". The Baring Foundation. 3 June 2019. Retrieved 20 January 2026.
- ^ "Caroline Kouassiaman". Global Philanthropy Project. Retrieved 5 December 2025.