Advocate Martha Eker-Male and Diana Penn, an accountant and international aid specialist, have been appointed to the Overseas Aid and Development Commission, alongside human rights academic Dr Kevin Bales.
Martha says, ‘I’m pleased to be appointed as an Overseas Aid Commissioner. I look forward to working with my fellow Commissioners to evaluate and approve funds for development and humanitarian work in the world’s least developed countries to improve the lives of some of the most vulnerable people.
‘I’m also grateful to Women in Public Life as, without the organisation’s updates about vacancies, I wouldn’t have seen the OAC’s advert.
‘I’d been keeping an eye on the WIPL website and newsletter since I moved back to the island two years ago to see whether any roles matched my skill set and interests, and the Commissioner role felt like the right role and the right time.
‘WIPL is such a helpful resource, and I’d encourage anyone with an interest in contributing to public life to subscribe to the newsletter as, even if you’re not sure what type of thing you’re looking for, WIPL is a fantastic way to find out about what’s on offer.’
Diana says she heard about the role from her friend and neighbour Jessica Wilson who works for the States of Guernsey: ‘She knows how passionate I am about international aid. She saw the advert and thought of me!
‘I am so excited to share my experiences working in worldwide disaster zones immediately following a catastrophe.’
‘When not attending to the business of the Commission, I shall be travelling to sell my book, Quake, wave, war, to raise money for the next international disaster.’
Presenting her recommendations to the July States meeting, President of the Overseas Aid and Development Commission, Deputy Jennifer Strachan, said:
‘Before returning to Guernsey, Ms Eker-Male worked for an international law firm in London where she gained experience in charities law, public international law and development-related issues. Ms Eker-Male’s pro bono work included contributing to submissions to United Nations bodies on issues such as climate change and States’ human rights obligations, with a particular focus on the rights of women and girls in South America and Africa.
‘Advocate Eker-Male’s legal background will be a great asset to the Commission, particularly as she has experience in charities law, public international law and development related matters, which includes human rights and climate change. She also has strong governance experience as she has advised governments on such issues, and this will be of benefit to the Commission in regard to its own policies and procedures and those of the charities it partners with.’
Deputy Strachan told the States that Diana Penn began her career as a research biologist before qualifying as an accountant. She moved to Guernsey in 1980 and became director of a trust company, while qualifying in her spare time as a commercial pilot. In 2004 she started working in international development.
She said, ‘Ms Penn’s financial acumen will be of great benefit to the Commission, particularly as she has had experience of using her skills in the context of international development. This has included being on the ground in developing countries, often in challenging circumstances. Ms Penn will be able to use her accounting knowledge to analyse and advise on project applications presented to the Commission, which include detailed budgets and expenditure plans.’
More about the Overseas Aid and Development Commission.
