Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – Need4Women
Vivian Neejay Innis-McGill is a Gender and Development Specialist, Economic Policy Practitioner, Leadership Advocate, Emerging Legal Professional, and Writer with over 15 years of experience advancing women’s rights, economic empowerment, and sustainable development. She holds a BBA in Management from the United Methodist University, a Master’s in Sustainable International Development from Brandeis University, and is a graduating LLB student at the Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law.
She currently serves as CEO of Need4Women Foundation, having trained and supported over 300 women through economic empowerment programs in Bong, Margibi, and Bassa counties, and is leading the Women Drive Change initiative, empowering 100 women with skills, confidence, and certification to take the driver’s seat.
Her career spans the Ministry of Gender, Children & Social Protection—working on the World Bank GERLS Project and supervising the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 Secretariat—and UNDP Liberia, where she has led programs connecting gender equality with security sector reform, access to justice, market access, entrepreneurship, and climate-resilient livelihoods. Vivian is also a co-author of the chapter “Gender and Security Sector Reform: The Challenge of Female Representation” in Post-War Security Sector Reform in Liberia (p.118).
Vivian’s work bridges law, policy innovation, and economic development, creating pathways for women to overcome systemic barriers and thrive in business, leadership, and public life.
Board of Directors (Member) – Need4Women
Dr. Sidy Ouattara has experience with projects related to resource governance, economic development, and IT system implementation in public administrations, as well as assessing the economic impact of extractive initiatives.
As a project manager for Francophone countries at RDF, he gained knowledge of issues relevant to the extractive sector in these regions. In the area of women’s empowerment, Sidy managed and coordinated vocational training programs aimed at increasing the employability of young girls in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and led the FEMA project, which provides support to women and children in artisanal and small-scale mining communities in Mali.
Prior to joining the Need4Africa board, Sidy served as a board director at DMDI Diaconia in Liberia (Microfinance initiative). His professional background includes experience in several African countries, policy and strategy development, and familiarity with standards set by major financial partners.
Senior Technical Advisor – Need4Women
Mohammed O. Massalee is a gender and development practitioner with strong expertise in policy development, capacity building, and monitoring and evaluation (M&E). He has led initiatives in smart policy design, training, and M&E frameworks, providing technical leadership on gender-based violence prevention, women’s empowerment, and human rights programming.
From 2018 to June 2024, he served as Technical Assistant to the Deputy Minister for Gender at Liberia’s Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, helping mobilize over US $75 million for gender-related programs and representing Liberia at the ECOWAS Gender and Development Center.
Mohammed also brings extensive private-sector management experience, having served as Head of Administration and Corporate Resources at the erstwhile First International Bank (Liberia) Limited. Currently a third-year law student, he continues to champion evidence-based reforms that promote gender equality and inclusive development.
