Aicha Mohammed Iya is the Research Officer at the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and Development (EJS Center). Aicha has a background in international policy and business administration, and graduated from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey with a Master in International Policy and Development.

Aicha’s previous roles include economic support for the United Nations’ NGO Branch; operational support for the United Nations Development Programme; Marketing Liaison at UPEACE Centre for Executive Education, a university established by a United Nations’ General Assembly Resolution; Communications Assistant at Association Internationale des Soldats de la Paix; Head of Digital Product at Wizall Money; and an assistant role in Corporate Partnerships, Communications & Event Planning at Fundación Amigos del Niño con Leucemia y Cáncer. In these roles, Aicha gained experience working across Africa, the Americas, and France, and honed her skills in adaptability in multicultural settings, data analysis, and teamwork.

Aicha is passionate about advancing sustainable development in Africa. She shares the EJS Center’s vision that this can be achieved by elevating more women to leadership roles and prioritizing the aspirations and needs of the continent’s 600 million women and girls.