Ayo Ayoola-Amale
Ayo Ayoola-Amale has more than twelve years’ experience working with civil society organizations and local communities as a development practitioner who works on advocacy, policy and implementation issues at the intersections of education, human rights, and gender policies.
An astute leader with selfless track record as a peace builder, mediator, restorative, non-violence advocate who develops program models and advocacy strategies that promote feminist peace, human rights, restorative practices, non-violence and social justice. She has broad expertise working in conflict resolution, peace building and law as a university lecturer, coach and trainer and also a wealth of experience of engaging with gender equality in civil society. Utilizing a multidisciplinary approach and participatory methodologies in advocacy, policy development and training.
Ayo is an Author, Poet, Artist and the Lead, First Conflict Resolution Services and the Founder and Creative Director of Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, Ghana (WILPF Ghana). She is acknowledged as the Muse for Peace and a Poet for positive social change. Her works often use poetry, art forms, theatre, cartoons, and photography in peace building, in developing new thinking around economic and progressive social change issues, often including the arts as a transformational vehicle to create systemic positive change.
A feminist peace builder and social change advocate who promotes inclusive education, positive youth development, and gender equity interventions, Ayo joined the peace movement at a very young age and became the Lead of Girls Guide as a teenager. She was a devoted Girl Guide in her teens where there are Girl Guiding groups set up with a focus to work on social justice issues, such as violence against women and girls.
Ayo later became a member of Women in Nigeria (WIN) and peace-building became a lifetime commitment. She is a dedicated advocate for Girl’s education and Women, Peace and Security who often look for innovative ways to promote peace through poetry and the arts.
Ayo is very passionate about building people and impacting lives and has built up the tools to be an advocate for women and girls by empowering women and girls to see new possibilities and clear insights. .
She is a fellow of World Mediation Organisation, Honourable Global Mediator (2014), a member of FemWise – the African Union’s Women Mediation Group, Mediator of the Global Mediation Panel of the UN, Member, International Ombudsman Association, Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (U.K), Ombudsman Mediator beyond Borders International, Trainer, International Peace Training Institute, and a Peace and Social Change Fellow of Columbia University NYC, etc.
Ayo is a Chartered Management Consultant and the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of City of Peace, Lagos and seats on the board of several corporate bodies and non-governmental organisations.
She is constantly focused on conflict resolution and peace-building and believes that Peace is a Human Right and culture that we build by educating young people.
An equestrian, who plays squash, loves poetry, arts, music and gardening.