Funke is a distinguished lawyer, human rights defender, and social entrepreneur. She is the founder and Executive Director of Hope Behind Bars Africa, an organisation dedicated to promoting human rights and criminal justice reforms through legal aid, research, evidence-based advocacy, and technology. Funke’s commitment to justice stems from personal experiences. Her father’s unjust detention and the tragic loss of a child due to the failings of a government health facility ignited her unwavering commitment to securing justice for the underserved. These experiences drive her to collaborate with relevant stakeholders to strengthen government systems and address systemic failures. Before founding Hope Behind Bars Africa in 2018, Funke worked as a programmes manager at Global Rights, an international human rights organisation that amplifies grassroots voices. During her tenure, she co-engaged the ECOWAS Court over the Nigerian government’s ban on Twitter, led the convening of a pan-African conference on Business and Human Rights, and built the capacity of over 400 grassroots organisations on government regulatory compliance. She also engaged the Upper Chamber of Nigeria’s parliament on the Companies and Allied Matters Act 2020, legislation that could negatively impact the civic space. At Hope Behind Bars Africa, Funke provides free legal services and direct support to indigent individuals in contact with the criminal justice system while promoting reforms through research, evidence-based advocacy, and technology. In 2020, she implemented the COVID-19 Grassroots Justice Fund Project supported by Namati and Funds for Global Human Rights, which provided support to 5,000 justice-involved individuals whose justice needs were grossly impacted by the coronavirus. Funke’s technology innovation, “Justice Padi,” emerged as the grand winner of the Unleash Plus Dragons’ Den in December 2022, out of 86 other solutions from around the world.
Oluwafunke Adeoye
Executive Director, Hope Behind Bars Africa
