Civil Society Energy Dialogue

Wendy Hughes is the World Bank’s Regional Director for Infrastructure for Eastern and Southern Africa. Ms. Hughes has over 24 years of experience working in the energy and climate sectors at the World Bank, in field-based positions and in headquarters. In her current role, Ms. Hughes is responsible for the policy direction, strategic partnerships, and integrated delivery of infrastructure programs in 25 countries in the region. She oversees an active portfolio of over $16 billion in investments across the region. Ms. Hughes has a PhD in Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering from Princeton University.

Zéneb TOURE is the Manager of the Civil Society and Community Engagement Division at the African Development Bank. She has accumulated more than 25 years of professional experience in the areas of organizational management, gender equality, citizen engagement and social inclusion in Africa.

She oversees and coordinates the African Development Bank's engagement with civil society. She leads strategic partnerships with civil society to ensure inclusivity and access in delivering programs that benefit all members of society, as well as ensuring transparency and accountability in Bank’s operations.

She joined the African Development Bank in 2009 as Gender Expert and supported the integration of the gender dimension in the Bank’s operations to accelerate gender equality in the continent.

Zéneb held numerous positions before the Bank including Permanent Secretary of the African Women Ministers and Parliamentarians Network (REFAMP) and led the advocacy strategy for gender equality and women empowerment in Africa. 

Ava Strasser is a Gender & Youth Analyst at Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL), where she leads initiatives to advance gender equality and youth inclusion in the sustainable energy sector. Her work includes implementing SEforALL’s STEM Traineeship programme in Sierra Leone and Panama and spearheading the organization’s efforts to mainstream gender and youth across its work. At SEforALL, Ava has conducted research on standardizing gender indicators for tracking progress towards SDG 7 and the intersections of gender, energy, and artificial intelligence. Prior to joining SEforALL, Ava held positions with the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security and the United Nations Department of Peace Operations. Ava holds a Master of Science in Global Affairs with a concentration in Peacebuilding from New York University and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science: International & Comparative Politics and Gender & Women's Studies from Western Michigan University.

Dr. Rebekah Shirley is the Deputy Director for Africa, at the World Resources Institute, where she works to create widespread public access to high-quality data and insights for mobilizing sustainable development solutions.

Prior to joining WRI, Rebekah was the Chief of Research at Power for All, a global non-profit organization advancing universal energy access. Over her tenure Rebekah built a novel energy research dissemination engine that fills critical knowledge gaps for practitioners and decision-makers on implementing integrated utility energy services, unlocking agricultural value-addition, and creating livelihoods in the African context, receiving multiple awards for this work.

Rebekah earned her PhD and MSc from the Energy and Resources Group at the University of California, Berkeley, where as a University Chancellor’s Fellow she designed innovative tools for power system planning in emerging markets. She has over fifteen years of experience leading energy and environmental research across Southeast Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean.

Hailing from the West Indies with roots in Jamaica and Trinidad, Rebekah now lives in Nairobi with her husband. Together they enjoy exploring Kenya’s great outdoors. She also lectures at Carnegie Mellon University Africa, where she mentors young students and researchers.

Adam Anthony is the Executive Director for HakiRasilimali, a research and policy network of civil societies advancing transparency and accountability in Tanzania’s extractive industry. He is also a member of the multistakeholder group of the Tanzania Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (TEITI). His research and work focus cuts across extractive industry, energy sector, and public policy. Adam holds a Master of Public Policy (MPP) from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and specialized training in Oil, Gas and Mining Governance from the Blavatnik School of Government, Oxford University.

Cherop Soy is a dynamic advocate for just energy transformation with experience leading initiatives to advance meaningful of key industry stakeholders and dismantle systemic inequalities in sub-Saharan Africa. Through her work with Enzi Ijayo, she supports programs that push for action-oriented policies aligned with African realities. Committed to feminist and anti-racist principles, Cherop fosters inclusive leadership in Africa’s energy transition while championing climate and socio-environmental justice on global, regional and local platforms.