
Loise Maina
Head, Gender Centre of ExcellenceLoise Maina is the Head, Gender Centre of Excellence at Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors where she supports the effective implementation of the Framework for Advancing Women’s Financial Inclusion in Nigeria. In this role, she leads RPA’s efforts to increase capacity within the Nigeria Ecosystem to advance financial inclusion of women and girls and make the regulatory environment in Nigeria conducive for the expansion of digital financial services (DFS) into rural/remote areas and promote solutions that serve the needs of those who are most financially excluded, particularly women.
Before joining Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors in November 2021, Loise held several senior gender specialist roles with various international organizations including the United Nations. She most recently served as the Associate Director of Women’s Economic Power, at Women for Women International where she led WfWI’s global economic empowerment programming. She also previously worked for Practical Action as Global Gender Advisor and for UN Women Regional Office for Eastern and Southern Africa (ESARO) as Regional Programme Manager for Women’s Economic Empowerment.
Loise has a Finance degree from the University of Nairobi, an Msc in Organizational Development from the United States International University, and an M.A. in Gender and Development from the University of Nairobi. She is also currently a PhD Candidate in Gender and Public Policy at the University of Nairobi and is a recipient of the Partnership for African Social and Governance Research and Carnegie Corporation of New York Doctoral Scholarship Award.