Abiola Afolayan is an international lawyer and currently serves as director in the Policy and Research Institute at Bread for the World, a U.S. based Christian advocacy NGO focused on addressing hunger and its roots causes, since 1974. Her portfolio includes work with the World Food Programme in Rome, Italy, as a foreign affairs staffer on Capitol Hill for a member of Congress, as adjunct professor at George Washington University Global Food Institute, and at the American Bar Association as Vice Chair of Programs for the Section on Energy and Environment and the Rule of Law Initiative-Africa Council. She is the author of “A Seat at the Table for Women, Girls and Movements: A Manifesto on Peace and Security” and is currently working on a book titled “Climate, Gender, and Financing in Africa.” Abiola speaks about food security globally, including at the global food security research organization International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) in Hyderabad, India where she led the discussion on the theme “Integrating Gender, Youth, and Social Inclusion in Dryland Agri-Food Systems.” She is also a recipient of the Humanitarian Award for the International Law Conference on the Status of Women, hosted by the United Nations and African Affairs Committees of the New York City Bar Association for her work advancing the human rights of women and girls and the pursuit of justice. She is a member of the California and United States Supreme Court Bars.