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Dr. May Ikeora transcends the conventional boundaries of academia, advocacy, and entrepreneurship to emerge as a formidable force in championing human rights, gender equality, and peacebuilding. With a profound journey that spans continents, Dr. Ikeora has lent her expertise to pivotal organizations such as the United Nations, African Union, World Bank, Mission89, the esteemed Kofi Annan Peacekeeping Institute and Governments. Her scholarly pursuits underscores her intellectual rigor and commitment to justice.
At the heart of her mission is the Raising Women Initiative (RWI), which she founded to elevate the potential of girls into tomorrow’s women leaders, particularly in Africa and the diaspora. As a technical adviser to governments and other organisations her influence extends to shaping policies and nurturing the next generation of female trailblazers.
Beyond her advocacy, Dr. Ikeora’s entrepreneurial spirit shines through her company L’Avyanna, a beauty brand dedicated to women-of-colour. L’Avyanna is a leading brand that not only caters to the unique needs of women-of-colour but also champions a narrative of pride and identity. Dr. Ikeora’s dual legacy in fostering beauty entrepreneurship and advocating for ethical practices in the beauty industry has garnered her numerous acknowledgements for her entrepreneurial acumen.
Dr. May Ikeora is more than a figure; she is a movement, seamlessly weaving her passion for empowerment, beauty, and justice into a tapestry of change. Her vision and actions inspire a world where young African women can stand tall, embracing their heritage and leading the charge towards a more equitable and beautiful future.
Dr. Ikeora envisions a world where gender equality transcends from ideal to actuality. She dreams of a future where women and girls are empowered pillars of society, unshackled from the chains of discrimination and violence. Her vision is global in scope, striving for a planet where every woman and girl can live in safety, dignity, and freedom.
Her mission is multi-faceted yet singular in goal – to eradicate gender-based violence and inequality, dismantle the networks of human trafficking, and champion the causes of irregular migration and displacement. Dr. Ikeora seeks to empower women through business and entrepreneurship, advocate for inclusive beauty standards, and strengthen their role in leadership positions across board. Dr. Ikeora utilizes her extensive skill set to influence policies, educate communities, and inspire a movement towards a more equitable and just world.
From shaping policies at international organizations to nurturing the next generation of female leaders, Dr. May’s work spans continents and disciplines.
🇷🇼 Rwanda, 🇧🇮 Burundi, 🇳🇬 Nigeria, 🇬🇭 Ghana, 🇵🇹 Portugal, 🇲🇿 Mozambique, 🇱🇷 Liberia, 🇪🇹 Ethiopia, 🇬🇼 Guinea Bissau, 🇬🇧 United Kingdom, 🇨🇦 Canada, 🇺🇸 United States, 🇹🇭 Thailand, 🇨🇲 Cameroon, 🇨🇭 Switzerland, 🇫🇷 France, 🇮🇹 Italy, 🇳🇱 Netherlands, 🇧🇯 Benin Republic, 🇨🇮 Cote d’Ivoire, 🇹🇬 Togo, 🇨🇻 Cape Verde, 🇨🇭 Switzerland, 🇨🇫 Central African Republic, 🇩🇪 Germany, 🇪🇬 Egypt, 🇸🇳 Senegal
With a diverse range of experiences across these nations, Dr. May Ikeora brings a wealth of insights and expertise to her global endeavors, shaping policies, fostering empowerment, and championing justice across borders.
Dr. May Ikeora’s dedication and contributions have been recognized through numerous prestigious awards and accolades. These honors reflect her unwavering commitment to empowerment, beauty, and justice, and serve as a testament to her impact on a global scale.
Dr. May is a professional fine artist with expertise in mediums like pencils, acrylic, chalk pastel, water colour and oil on canvas. She has exhibited her works in both Nigeria and the UK through solo and group exhibitions.
She founded a Beauty Company called L’Avyanna. An idea conceived in 2003 and nurtured into existence by 2015, L’Avyanna started with an Ex-beauty Queen’s passion for beauty. She saw the need to address the market gap in affordable quality skincare products for women-of-colour.
Also passionate about women’s rights, she thought of a way to combine the two. L’Avyanna which means “the strong beautiful woman” is set against the backdrop of empowering women through beauty and ethics. It promotes the ideology that women are enough in themselves and that skincare should only advance women…not change them. L’Avyanna is a natural and organic skincare brand emerging in the ethnic-diaspora beauty space from its European origins. Our products are nutrient-based, made from highperformance natural and organic ingredients and are paraben-free. Our vision is to provide men and women of colour with the best skin care nutrients with utmost potency and efficiency at an affordable price.
She founded an organisation call Raising Women Initiative (RWI). Raising Women Initiative is a non-profit organization that has, over the last 6 years, implemented programs that inspire, empower and advocate for greater representation of women and girls in all sectors challenging, the status quo on gender mainstreaming and equality.
Vision: To create in a world where women and girls are truly free Mission: Change the ideology of key stake holders relevant to the growth if women and girls through advocacy, policy change and research.
Delve into the insightful contributions of Dr. May Ikeora through her notable publications across various mediums, including books, journals, and working papers. These selected publications showcase Dr. May Ikeora’s expertise, thought leadership, and dedication to advancing empowerment, beauty, and justice on a global scale.
