Valerie Hudson, founder of Born Equal, is a committed and passionate international development professional with a wealth of experience in development and humanitarian organizations, having worked and volunteered with charities including LawWorks (the Solicitors Pro Bono Group), Oxfam, Christian Aid,  Africa Justice Foundation and the Peace Alliance. She has a particular interest in the strategic role of government and the corporate sector in alleviating poverty and improving security, wellbeing and equality outcomes for the most vulnerable in society and the role of NGOs and civil society in advocating for critical changes in law, policy and administrative rules.

Valerie’s experience and expertise within the charitable sector includes strategic planning, monitoring and evaluation, project and programme management, fundraising and stakeholder relations including engaging with UN, African Union, EU and the UK government and Parliament including All Party Parliamentary Groups.

In 2017 Valerie was appointed Special Aide to the Minister of Communications and Digitisation for the Republic of Ghana with a focus on National Digitisation projects including the Ghana Post Digital Addressing System, the Government of Ghana Smart Workplace, the National Cyber Security engagement strategy and the Girl’s in ICT initiative which aligned with International Telecommunication Resolution 70, advocating for gender mainstreaming, gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls through ICT. She was appointed Deputy Executive Director of the Data Protection Commission of Ghana and also served as a Board Trustee for the Accra Digital Centre providing oversight for the development and management of technology parks and digital centres across Ghana to promote ICT driven economic growth and to support upskilling and training to bridge the digital divide.

Valerie is a women’s rights and equalities advocate and served as a board member of UN Women UK’s London Committee, supporting public outreach activities and raising awareness of UN Women programmes including elimination of violence against women, women’s economic and political empowerment and supporting fundraising efforts towards the UN’s Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women. She is a member of the National Association of Women’s Organisations (NAWO).