Marie-Evelyne Petrus Barry and Bience Gawanas

Marie-Evelyne Petrus-Barry is the Regional Director at International Planned Parenthood Federation Africa Region (IPPF-AR). She has more than 30 years of international human rights and development experience and has previously worked for Amnesty International as Regional Director for West and Central Africa and worked for several UN agencies, including the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. Advocate Bience Gawanas has been a human rights lawyer and social development activist for more than 40 years and is an IPPF Board of Trustees member. Until 2020, she was Under-Secretary-General and Special Adviser on Africa to the United Nations Secretary-General. Her former positions include African Union (AU) Commissioner for Social Affairs, Special Adviser to the Namibian Minister of Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare, Special Adviser to the Namibian Minister of Health and Social Services, and Ombudswoman Namibia.