Our Leadership Team
Guided by experienced governance and driven by passionate professionals — meet the people steering GEM-GHANA's mission to empower women and girls across Ghana.
Board of Directors
Our Board of Directors provides strategic oversight, fiduciary accountability, and governance leadership to ensure GEM-GHANA fulfils its mandate with integrity and impact.
Dr. Mary-Magdalene Pedavoah (Ph.D.)
Director, Gender, Social Inclusion and Board Chairperson
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Dr. Hawawu Hussein (Ph.D.)
Director, Monitoring and Evaluation
Hawawu Hussein is a Lecturer and former Head of Department at Tamale Technical University, where she led curriculum development, mentored students, fostered research collaborations, and facilitated the renovation and furnishing of the department’s laboratory. She previously served as Head of Research at Ho Teaching Hospital, overseeing large-scale epidemiological studies, coordinating ethical review processes, and advancing interdisciplinary research. She has eight years of experience in Medical Laboratory Practice. Her research focuses on maternal and child health, air pollution, and non-communicable diseases. Overall, she has over 18 years of combined experience in health, research, and academia.
Dr. Nashirdeen Mumuni (Ph.D.)
Director Research and Policy Engagement
Dr. Mumuni is an Associate Professor of Medical Physics with degrees from Tamale (BSc, First Class), Aberdeen (MSc, Commendation), and Glasgow (PhD). His research focuses on diagnostic imaging, particularly brain MRI and single-voxel spectroscopy. He is the founding Head of the Department of Medical Imaging and founding Director of the Diagnostic Imaging Research Centre at UDS, where he led the design and accreditation of the BSc Medical Imaging Technology programme. He serves on numerous national and international boards and received the 2017 IUPAP Young Scientist Award for contributions to quantitative MR spectroscopy.
Mrs. Mary Maaka Ali
Director, Administration and Finance
Mary is a nutritionist with more than 12 years of expertise in clinical nutrition, community health, and research. She is presently enrolled at the University of Kentucky to pursue a Master of Science in Nutritional Sciences with a focus on clinical nutrition. In Ghana and the United States, Mary has provided evidence-based nutrition counseling, behavior modification, and health education to individuals and families in hospital and public health settings. She is committed to enabling women to develop long-lasting, self-assured relationships with food and health through useful, scientifically based nutrition techniques.
Abdul Rafiiu Alhassan
Founder and Strategic Lead
Abdul Rafiiu is a dedicated development professional and social advocate committed to advancing community empowerment, hands-on skills development, youth leadership, and gender equity. As the founder of GEM-GHANA, he provides strategic guidance that strengthens the organisation’s vision of promoting dignity, education, and opportunity for girls, women, and vulnerable communities. With experience in education, community engagement, programme support, and stakeholder collaboration. Abdul Rafiiu brings practical insight into sustainable grassroots impact. He is passionate about ethical leadership, social accountability, and inclusive development, and actively supports initiatives that amplify youth voices and improve access to education, hands-on skills training, health awareness, and digital safety.
Work With Our Team
Whether you're a donor, partner, volunteer or community leader — our team is ready to connect and collaborate with you.