Mrs. Oby Nwankwo, lawyer and gender rights activist, and Nigeria’s elected representative to the United Nations’ Committee on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Violence Against Women, CEDAW is dead.
Mrs. Oby was the founder and Executive Director of the Civil Resource Development and Documentation Centre (CIRDDOC), an independent, non-governmental organisation that is committed to the promotion of human rights, good governance and access to justice.
She retired from the magistracy after 23 years of service, she has been in the forefront of the campaign for the promotion and protection of women’s rights. She was a human rights activist, election observer, community mobiliser, independent development consultant and trainer/Facilitator. She authored several publications on gender and women’s rights. She, along with a Ugandan, represents Africa on the Steering Committee of the Coalition for the International Criminal Court (ICC). She was a member of the ICC Gender Justice Team and Advisory Board member of Global Fund for Women.