Happy Hauwa

Prof. Hauwa Ibrahim is one of the top defenders of women’s rights in Nigeria.  She is currently teaching and conducting research at Harvard. Prior to joining Harvard Divinity School as a Visiting Lecturer, Hauwa was a jointly appointed Fellow at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study and at Harvard Law School Human Rights Program. A lawyer and author, she has been a visiting professor in several countries. In May 2014, President Good-luck Jonathan of Nigeria appointed her a member of the fact-finding commission regarding the 219 girls kidnapped by Boko Haram from Chibok. Hauwa’s professional accomplishments also include election as the first female National Publicity Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association in 2000 and authorship of the first draft of the constitution for the Pan African Lawyers Union in 2002. Hauwa has served as a consultant to the United Nations Development Program, the European Union’s Commission and Ambassadors in Nigeria, and the NGO Lawyers without Borders. Hauwa has been honored with the European Parliament’s 2005 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought. On May 9th 2015, she addressed the European Parliament on the pursuit of her lifetime- education. Hauwa wants you to enjoy a happy week!