Gender justice and environmental sustainability: the role of women in promoting green practices in Africa

Abigail Opoku Mensah Prof. (Mrs) Abigail Opoku Mensah is a renowned academic with over 15 years of diverse experience in teaching and academic research. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, a Master of Philosophy and a Doctor of Philosophy in Industrial and Organisational Psychology from the University of Ghana. Abigail was the former Director of the Research and Consultancy Centre at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA). Prior to this role, she was also the Director of the Centre for International Education and Collaboration at UPSA, where she led major institutional initiatives in internationalisation, research development, and academic-industry partnerships. Her leadership in these roles resulted in securing and managing numerous externally funded projects, notably from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), German Corporation for International Cooperation (GIZ), Erasmus + KA171, Centre for Understanding of Sustainable Prosperity (CUSP-UK) and the DAAD/DIES partnership with German universities, among others. She is currently the acting administrator of the Ghana National Research Fund. Before joining the UPSA, she worked at the University of Cape Coast (UCC) for over ten years. Whilst at UCC, she served in numerous capacities, notable among them: the founding Head of their newly created Management Department, School of Business; Board Chairperson of the UCC Basic School Governing Board and the Hall Warden of Adehye Hall. Before leaving to join UPSA, she was appointed by the Vice Chancellor of UCC as the Chairman of the Institutional Advancement and Rebranding Team to promote the UCC brand globally. She has received a number of awards and grants, which are worth noting: In her early career stage, she was awarded an Early Career Fellow by the Sloan Foundation (USA) in an initiative called ‘The Early Career Work and Family Scholars Program’. She was later awarded a mid-career scholar by MIASA, Legon, Ghana. She is a core member of the Algo Peers strategic leadership team, where they lead projects and work with institutions like the Mastercard Foundation, the Gates Foundation, Nordic Semiconductor, the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, and the International Federation of University Women (IFUW, Geneva). Abigail also serves as the marketing regional representative for ACBSP Region 8 globally. Abigail has also been a vocal advocate for social transformation through research-informed policy. She plays a key role in national advocacy campaigns for gender-equitable labour policies, including joint efforts to revise maternity leave durations in Ghana. Her passion for inclusive leadership is exemplified in her facilitation role in the Female Future Ghana Programme, a leadership initiative sponsored by the Ghana Employers Association and the Norwegian Government to empower corporate women for senior leadership roles in Ghana. As an academic deeply committed to service, she sits on several boards and university committees and has served numerous public and private universities in Ghana. Her professional affiliations include membership with the Ghana Psychology Council, the Work and Family Researchers Network (USA), the International Federation of University Women (Geneva) and FAWE Ghana. This article is her first contribution to the International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy.

David Worlanyo Adzovie is the Director of HR at the UPSA and a PhD student of Interdisciplinary Studies, Public Policy and Social Change. Formerly, he was Director of HR at the University of Health and Allied Sciences, Country Head of HR at Halliburton International GmbH, HR Projects Lead at Halliburton Africa Other Area covering 28 countries, and Lead Consultant of IFC (World Bank) PS II-Performance Standards, Labour and Working Conditions, Tema Port Expansion Project. He was the project lead for IBM Corporate Services Corps, Phase 4, and was nominated to serve on the committee that conducted the term assessment of ECOWAS in 2020. He led several international certifications, such as Fair Trade, TESCO, GLOBALGAP, Field to Fork, SEDEX and SOX. David is a Fellow, Chartered Professional Administrator (FChPA) and a Fellow, Chartered Management Consultant (FCMC). He studied Strategic Human Resource Practices (SPHR) at Cornell University, ILR School (USA), and holds an MBA in International Business from ESG, Paris-France, where he received the prestigious award for Excellence for the overall best graduate, 2006 ESG-MBA-IB. He also holds a Graduate Diploma in Management from IPMA, London, and an HND in Statistics from Ho Technical University. He is a Certified International Professional Manager, a published author of three books, and chair of the Policy Development and Review Committee at UHAS. He was a visiting lecturer at Leeds Beckett University (UK), University of Applied Management (Germany), Kings University, Wisconsin International University, and UHAS. He co-founded the Oak Green Montessori School and serves as chair. His research interest is AI and business sustainability. This article is his first contribution to the International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy.

Erika Mamley Osae is a Research Fellow at the Institute of Work, Employment and Society at the University of Professional Studies, Accra. She possesses more than twenty-five years of experience in development practice across both local and international contexts, working collaboratively with civil society organisations, local stakeholders, and the private sector. She has a PhD in Development Studies from the School for Development Studies, UCC, and a Master of Arts degree in Public Policy and Administration, as well as an Executive Master's degree with an Advanced Certificate in Leadership and NGO Management from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University in New York, USA. She also holds a Master of Arts degree in Development Studies from the Institute of Social Studies at Erasmus University, The Hague, The Netherlands, as well as a Bachelor of Arts degree in Geography and Resource Development with Philosophy from the University of Ghana, Legon–Accra. Erika is a certified organisation and systems development practitioner. She worked for multinational and international organisations and institutions before joining UPSA. Her research focuses on three areas: women and governance (information technology, NGO, and corporate); organisation and systems development (leadership and human resource management); and urbanisation with an emphasis on slums/informality and inner-city development. She also has some published chapters in books and periodicals to her credit. This article is her first contribution to the International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy.

Samuel Koomson is a multidisciplinary expert and management consultant. He holds a Ph.D. in Business Administration from the award-winning University of Cape Coast, Ghana. His key competencies are research, consulting, training, and development. Samuel's research interests are in strategy, operations, marketing, sustainability, innovation, leadership, psychology, and ethics. Samuel has published in journals, including European Business Review, Business Process Management Journal, Society and Business Review, The TQM Journal, International Journal of Innovation Science, PSU Research Review, International Journal of Quality and Reliability Management, Cogent Business and Management, International Journal of Ethics and Systems, Journal of Global Responsibility, African Journal of Economic and Management Studies, and British Journal of Healthcare Management. This article is his first contribution to the International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy.