Caroline Kouassiaman
Caroline Kouassiaman | |
|---|---|
| Other names | B. Caroline Kouassiaman |
| Citizenship | Ivorian-American |
| Education | B.A.Economics and Diplomacy & World Affairs; Master of Public Administration; Master's in International Relations |
| Alma mater | Occidental College;Syracuse University |
| Occupations | Feminist activist; Grantmaker; Executive Director ISDAO |
Caroline Kouassiaman (also known as B. Caroline Kouassiaman) is a queer, bilingual African feminist of Ivorian and African-American descent.[1] She is the current Executive Director of the Initiative Sankofa d'Afrique de l'Ouest (ISDAO), a West African queer feminist and LGBTQIA+ Activist-led funding organisation.[1][2][3]
Education
Kouassiaman holds a B.A. in Economics and Diplomacy and World Affairs from Occidental College, and two master's degrees both Public Administration and International Relations from Syracuse University, United States.[1][4]
Career
Kouassiaman has spent more than 15 years investing in grassroots feminist and LGBTQI organising.[5] Her contributions span feminist grantmaking, social entrepreneurship, education access, and research management.[5]
Before joining ISDAO as Executive Director, Kouassiaman served as Senior Program Officer for Sexual Health and Rights at American Jewish World Service (AJWS), and as a Program Officer at the Global Fund for Women.[6]
In 2025, she was named one of the 19 Influential African Women in International Development by Leading Ladies Africa, alongside Hafsat Abiola, Tsitsi Masiyiwa, and Jessica Horn.[5]
Selected publications
- Kouassiaman, B. Caroline (2022). "Aujourd'hui, c'est aujourd'hui: Navigating power and speaking up as a West African activist-led fund". In Speaking Back, Speaking Black. AiD.[7]
- Kouassiaman, Caroline (2022). "Funding unchained: an activist approach to unlocking LGBTQI leadership in West Africa". Alliance Magazine. 17 May 2019.[8]
- Okanlawon, Kehinde; Oguaghamba, Akudo; Kouassiaman, Caroline; and Armisen, Mariam (2012).Struggling Alone: The Lived Realities of Women who have Sex with Women in Burkina Faso, Ghana and Nigeria. Queer African Youth Networking Center (QAYN).
See also
External links
References
- ^ a b c "Caroline Kouassiaman". Voice Global. Retrieved 5 December 2025.
- ^ "Initiative Sankofa d'Afrique de l'Ouest". Equal Eyes. Retrieved 5 December 2025.
- ^ "The state of feminist funding in Francophone West Africa". Alliance Magazine. Retrieved 5 December 2025.
- ^ "Personnel – ISDAO". Initiative Sankofa d'Afrique de l'Ouest. Retrieved 5 December 2025.
- ^ a b c "19 Influential African Women in International Development". Leading Ladies Africa. 1 May 2025. Retrieved 5 December 2025.
- ^ "Move afoot to protect women around the world against violence". New Pittsburgh Courier. 19 June 2014. Retrieved 5 December 2025.
- ^ Kouassiaman, B. Caroline (2022). ""Aujourd'hui, c'est aujourd'hui": Navigating power and speaking up as a West African activist-led fund". ISDAO. Retrieved 5 December 2025.
- ^ Kouassiaman, Caroline (17 May 2019). "Funding unchained: an activist approach to unlocking LGBTQI leadership in West Africa". Alliance Magazine. Retrieved 5 December 2025.