Sylvia Arthur

Founder, Library of Africa and the African Diaspora

Women in West Africa have the lowest life expectancy in the world: 60 years. In Nigeria, a girl born today can expect to live to just 54. That’s 22 years less than the global average for women. I’m driven by these statistics to ensure that the lives and stories of everyday women from my region are documented and shared.

I founded the Library of Africa and the African Diaspora (LOATAD) in Accra, Ghana, in 2017 with 1,300 of my own books, mainly by writers of African descent. I’m also establishing the Narrative Equity Institute, where we will document and share the stories of African women and create what we want to be the largest oral archive of African women’s stories in the world. Our mission is to achieve social, cultural, and economic equity for women and girls. My ongoing work is supported in part by my Ford Global Fellowship, which is a humbling recognition of my work over the last seven years and a great opportunity to be in community with activists from around the globe.A lot has been written about Africa’s ‘youthquake.’ On the one hand, Africa has the fastest-growing, youngest population of any continent. By 2050, one in four people on the planet will be African. On the other hand, we’re all living longer than ever—even women in West Africa. By focusing on the stories of women over 60, the Narrative Equity Institute will ensure our elders are not forgotten in the gap between the fascination with youth and the euphoria of extended life, without considering the quality of that life for older women.

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