Fiona Sampson, B.A., M.A.,LL.B.,Ph.D.,L.L.D. (Hon), C.M. is a human rights lawyer with a PhD in women’s equality law who has dedicated her career to seeking justice for disadvantaged persons.  In 2008 she founded The Equality Effect (e²), an NGO that uses international human rights law to make girls’/women’s rights real.  As e²’s CEO/President, she led the e² team to the landmark 160 Girls victory in Kenya, in which the High Court found the state had failed to protect girls from rape and created a climate of impunity for rape. Fiona has been called one of the world’s “women revolutionaries” alongside notables that include Gloria Steinem, Hillary Clinton, and Isobel Coleman.  Fiona has received many awards and much recognition for her human rights work, including being appointed an Ashoka Fellow, named one of Canada’s Top 25 Lawyers (Top 5 on the “World Stage”), and awarded the Law Society of Ontario Human Rights Award.  Fiona has Honorary Doctorates from Trent University and Queen’s University.  Fiona is an appointed Member of the Order of Canada, the highest honour a Canadian civilian can be awarded.

Renowned constitutional lawyer and human rights advocate Anne Ireri is e²’s Global Legal Advisor. Anne comes to e² from her role as Executive Director of the Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) Kenya. Anne has acted as the Chairperson of the Elections Observation Group Steering Committee, served as a member of the Technical Working Group on Gender-Based Violence including Femicide, and been appointed to the Presidential Taskforce on National Police Service, Kenya Prisons Service, and the National Youth Services Reforms. Anne is an advocate of the High Court of Kenya and has a post-graduate in Legal Studies from the Kenya School of Law, and a post-graduate diploma in human rights and gender studies from the Uppsala University of Sweden, as well as an MPPM- Masters in Public Policy and Management from Strathmore Business School. Anne was named one of the Top 40 Under 40 Women in 2019 by the Business Daily, and recently named one of the top 50 Women Lawyers in Kenya by the Nairobi Legal Awards. Anne was part of e²’s original 160 Girls Constitutional claim legal team and is also e²’s original 160 Girls National Coordinator.

Patricia is an advocate of the High Court of Kenya, with an LL.B. and she is an LL.M. candidate. As the Program Officer 160 Girls Project, Patricia works with local partners to implement 160 Girls Virtual Justice Club Project which builds capacity of school children to be equality champions for themselves and potential and actual defilement victims. She also supports the 160 Girls Police, Prosecution and Judicial programs. Prior to this role, Patricia worked for Lawyers Without Borders, Community Education and Empowerment Centre, KELIN, KNCHR and FIDA Kenya. She is an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya with a Degree in Law from Moi University and a Post Graduate Diploma from the Kenya School of Law. She is a member of the Law Society of Kenya, FIDA Kenya and Amnesty International, Kenya.

Dr Ruth Nekura is a human rights lawyer and socio-legal researcher with more than 10 years’ experience working on human rights and gender equality in Africa with a focus on research, strategic litigation, program design & implementation, law & policy reform and advocacy.  She is an advocate of the High Court of Kenya and holds an LLM (in Human Rights) and a PhD (in Public Law) from the University of Cape Town (UCT). Ruth was the 2025 recipient of the Civil Society Lawyer of the Year Award, Law Society of Kenya. 

Yvonne, BA Psych, is a committed psychologist and youth advocate passionate about human rights and social justice. She has experience in youth-focused services, a foundation in data analytics, and hands-on fund development work with e². Yvonne holds a B.A. in Psychology from United States International University – Africa and graduate certificates in Youth Justice and Intervention and Data Analytics from Durham College. Her passion for youth justice was sparked during her internship with the 160 Girls project. She has worked in legal and psycho-social support roles and brings EDIB leadership, operations, and communication skills from both nonprofit and entrepreneurial work.

Martine is an Information Technology specialist, who graduated from the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology. Martine supports Equality Effect technology especially the implementation of the 160 Girls Virtual Justice Club and Kenya police E-learning program. Martine has 15 year’s experience in Technology programming and previously worked for Worldreader, Bridge International Academies and Unites States International University.

Simi is a Chartered Accountant with a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Lagos State University and an MBA from the University of Lagos. She has extensive experience in financial reporting, budgeting and analysis, with a passion for using data to support strategic decision-making. She has worked with several nonprofit organizations, including MakeWay Foundation, Bredin Centre for Career Advancement, the British Council, and Internet Exchange Point. Simi is known for her analytical mindset, attention to detail, and commitment to financial integrity. She enjoys helping leadership teams understand the numbers behind their operations to drive sustainable impact.