Theo Sowa, CBE

Theo Sowa is an independent advisor and consultant, specialising in international social development with a particular emphasis on children’s rights and protection issues. Her work includes advisory roles to African and other international women and children’s rights activists and leaders, plus policy development and advocacy with a variety of international agencies and organisations. Theo was Senior Programme Advisor on the UN Study on Children and Armed Conflict and led the five-year review of the report, and was also CEO of the African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF) for nine years. She is a board member of various national and international civil society organisations and grant-making foundations, including being a trustee of Comic Relief and Chair of Comic Relief’s International Grants Committee; a member of the African Advisory Board of the Stephen Lewis Foundation; a Patron of Evidence for Development; a member of the UBS Optimus Foundation and a board member of the Graça Machel Trust. She has authored and edited many publications.