Isata Kabia
2019 Fellow
Director, Voice of Women-Sierra Leone
Isata is the Founder and Director of Voice of Women-SL (VoW-SL), an organization working to increase women’s political participation and leadership, encourage women to vote and support a record number of women running for office in Sierra Leone. VoW-SL aims to increase political participation and leadership by building an intergenerational
community with an inclusive national membership of women to mobilize and build lasting infrastructure for sustained action.
Isata most recently served as a government Minister of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs (2018) and as the Minister of State II at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. After resigning her position as special advisor on Diaspora Affairs in the Office of the President in 2012, she ran for office and was elected as the first female Member of Parliament from the Port Loko district in Northern Sierra Leone. She also served as a member of the Pan African Parliament.
In addition, Isata is the CEO of AFRiLOSOPHY, a social impact training and manufacturing company focused on creating jobs through the manufacturing of cosmetics, hair and body products, and assisting women and youth in starting and managing their own enterprises through skills and financial management training provided by the AFRiLOSOPHY Foundation. The AFRiLOSPHY Foundation currently works within Port Loko district on a Rural Education Program (REP) building schools within the community.
She was selected as a Fellow for the 2019-2020 VV Engage Cohort.