Mrs. Jessica Annor currently holds the position of Head of the Youth, Gender and Women’s Empowerment Unit at the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD). Furthermore, she serves as the Cluster Lead for Quotas within the AU Women and Youth Financial and Economic Inclusion (WYFEI 2030) initiative.

In her role, she has made a significant impact by training and empowering numerous women and youth entrepreneurs from countries such as Ghana, Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, and Niger, among others. As a passionate advocate for women’s rights, she has dedicated herself to improving the conditions of nursing mothers within the African Union system. Additionally, she focuses on building the capacity of female parliamentarians, actively working towards the adoption of gender equality and youth empowerment legislation. In her pursuit of gender equality, she has also initiated a Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Awareness Week, fostering internal discussions on gender issues and positive masculinity.

She has been part of the Presidential and Technical working groups of the AU High Level Presidential Initiative on Positive Masculinity in Leadership to End Violence Against Women and Girls in Africa and contributed to the discussions on the draft of the first ever AU Convention on Ending Violence Against Women and Girls (AU CEVAWG) set to be adopted by Heads of State during the AU Assembly in February 2025. In this regards, she organized, along with the Presidency of the Republic of South Africa and other stakeholders, consultations of the Private sector and the world of Business on Positive masculinity (2023) and on the draft Convention (2024).

She has actively collaborated with the AfCFTA Secretariat and various stakeholders, fostering close cooperation to secure the advantageous outcomes of the AfCFTA for women traders. Her efforts encompass facilitating access to relevant information, enhancing the working conditions of informal cross-border traders, and maximizing the benefits derived from the AfCFTA. Additionally, she has been offering technical support to the AU African Women in Processing (AWIP) initiative.

Before assuming her current role, she served as the Special Assistant to the Chief Executive Officer of the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD). In this capacity, she closely monitored and oversaw various gender programs and projects, including the NEPAD Spanish Fund for the Empowerment of African Women, the Gender Climate Change and Agriculture Support Programme (GCCASP), and the Agricultural Technical Vocational Education and Training for Women (ATVET4Women) program, among others. She also spearheaded the Positive Culture Group, an influential entity dedicated to driving change within the Agency and empowering young women to become agents of transformative change.

Prior to her work at AUDA-NEPAD, she gained valuable experience at the French National Assembly, supporting a female Member of Parliament. During her tenure, she actively contributed to the formulation and advancement of legislation promoting gender equality, such as the law for the equality between women and men and the law combating prostitution.

Her professional journey includes employment with ENGIE, a multinational utility company specializing in energy transition, electricity generation and distribution, natural gas, nuclear power, renewable energy, and petroleum. She has also worked at Dexia Credit Local, a bank that specializes in providing financial services to local authorities. These experiences have further enriched her knowledge and expertise in diverse fields.

Having served at the French Embassy in New Delhi, India, she has honed her expertise in matters concerning Decentralized Cooperation, fostering a profound comprehension of the intricacies of diplomacy and bilateral cooperation.

She is an alumna of Sciences Po Paris, the renowned French institution known for its excellence in political and social sciences. Her academic journey culminated in the attainment of a Master of Public Affairs degree. Prior to that, she studied sociology, with an emphasis on the sociology of gender. Through her academic pursuits, she has delved deep into the complexities and dynamics of gender relations, empowering her with a nuanced perspective on societal structures and inequalities.

Her educational background reflects her intellectual curiosity, dedication to knowledge acquisition, and a strong desire to address social issues through informed decision-making and inclusive policies.

Mrs. Jessica Annor currently holds the position of Head of the Youth, Gender and Women’s Empowerment Unit at the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD). Furthermore, she serves as the Cluster Lead for Quotas within the AU Women and Youth Financial and Economic Inclusion (WYFEI 2030) initiative. In her role, she has made a significant impact by training and empowering numerous women and youth entrepreneurs from countries such as Ghana, Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, and Niger, among others.

Prior to her work at AUDA-NEPAD, she gained valuable experience at the French National Assembly, supporting a female Member of Parliament. During her tenure, she actively contributed to the formulation and advancement of legislation promoting gender equality, such as the law for the equality between women and men and the law combating prostitution.

She is an alumna of Sciences Po Paris, the renowned French institution known for its excellence in political and social sciences. Her academic journey culminated in the attainment of a Master of Public Affairs degree. Prior to that, she studied sociology, with an emphasis on the sociology of gender.