Voice, Power and Soul II 2 | Page 29

Olufunmilayo Balogun Nigeria I am inspired by the possibility of change in the future, by women, who have achieved a lot and opened up spaces, by women who work day in and out without complaining under hideous conditions and most of all, I am inspired by Africa and the promise it holds. I am currently the Director, External Relations and Advocacy to the International Planned Parenthood Federation Africa Regional Office in Nairobi. My role is to build and strengthen partnerships with multilateral and bilateral organisations and in particular, the African Union and Regional Economic Commissions to ensure that sexual and reproductive health and rights remain key priority issues within development discourse both in Africa and at the global level. I am responsible for communicating the work of IPPF and its 42 Member Associations in 42 countries in Sub-Saharan African and building relationships with donors to increase funding to expand IPPF’s service provision. I call myself a feminist because I see that patriarchy bestows an unfair advantage to men, working from the premise that men are latently superior to women. I understand that this is the premise that guides all institutions, policies, laws and relationships, and that it puts women at a disadvantage. The inability of women t