Nana Oye Lithur has a Bachelor of Law (BL) from the School of Law, Accra (1992) and a Masters in Law, Human Rights and Democratization in Africa (LLM) from the University of Pretoria, South Africa (2001).
She is currently Chief Executive Director of the Human Rights Advocacy Centre. For years she worked as the Regional Coordinator (Africa Office) for the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI).
She is an advisory member of the International Consortium on Realising Reproductive Rights and a member of the steering committee of the International Consortium on Medical Abortion.
The Human Rights Advocate is an executive member of the International Freedom of Information Advocates Network, the Africa Freedom Of Information Centre, and the Convener of the Right to Information Coalition of Ghana.
Nana Oye is also an advisory member of the R3M Advisory Committee, Ghana and the Coalition on the Donorship to Ownership project with the Planned Parenthood Association, Ghana.
She has been involved with the Coordinated African Regional Survey on Access to Information for Ghana, as well as running an access to justice program and a human rights clinic.
She was a lead consultant that drafted the human rights section for Ghana’s NEPAD/Africa Peer Review Mechanism Report 2004.
Nana Oye Lithur also drafted the access to justice OSI/AFRIMAP Report on Ghana.
She is renowned for her strong passion and dedication towards advocating for human rights and gender equality.
Nana Oye Lithur is a Policy and Advocacy Consultant for IPAS and Population Council, Ghana.
Other positions she has held include Director, Governing Board of the Internal Revenue Service Ghana, member, Disciplinary Committee of the Ghana Bar Association, Greater Accra branch, Director of Vocational Services, and Rotary Club of Accra East.
Nana Oye was the national secretary of the International Federation of Women Lawyers, (FIDA-Ghana) and the immediate past Honorary Legal Advisor of the Ghana Red Cross Society.
She was honoured with the Vera Chirwa Award for Human Rights in Africa for her outstanding performance in the protection of human rights in Africa in 2007 by the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, South Africa.
She has received the African Servant Leadership Award in 2011; the Champion of Women’s Rights Award in 2012 and the West African Women in Leadership Award for “Distinguished Impact”.
Nana Oye Lithur was also appointed as honorary member of the Institute of Public Relations, Ghana in 2007.
She has also been appointed as a Millennium Development Goal 3 torch bearer by the Danish Government, 2008, and is a member of the United Nations Country Team Civil Society Advisory Committee for Ghana, 2008.
Nana Oye Lithur was selected by the Commonwealth Secretary General to be part of the Commonwealth Observer Group for the Guyana national and regional elections in November 2011.
She has led several fact-finding missions to investigate human rights violations in Ghana and has also worked as a lecturer, presenting Human Rights/CHRI human rights lectures for journalism students.
She has conducted research and published on the right to information in Africa, political rights for women in Africa, reproductive health and rights, HIV/AIDS, human rights, gender based violence, maternal mortality, abortion and women’s property rights.
She writes a weekly column called “Women and the Law” in the Daily Graphic newspaper and published a Handbook on Adolescent Reproductive Rights.
She was the Communications Director for the University of Ghana Representative Council (SRC) and participated actively in the activities of the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS).
Her advocacy centre helps poor people to access justice. Since 2009, the centre has handled 677 human rights cases.
Nana Oye Lithur was in January 2013 appointed Cabinet Minister of the Republic of Ghana to head the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection. Though she faced stiff opposition from people who disagreed with her stands on gay rights and her open advocacy for the recognition of the rights of persons in the act, she was approved by the appointments committee of Parliament of the Republic of Ghana.