Caroline Ford

IDRC’s Democratic and Inclusive Governance Division is led by Caroline Ford, who has more than 25 years of experience in the fields of governance, justice, human rights, and development. A graduate of political science (BA Hons. Queen’s University, MA Carleton University) and international human rights law (LLM, University of Essex), Caroline began her career designing legal advocacy, gender-based violence, HIV, and access to justice programs for women and vulnerable youth. She then worked in Africa, the Balkans, and at a global level on human rights, international development, humanitarian emergency response, and communications for development. Caroline has held senior management positions leading regional and global expert teams for BBC Media Action, Amnesty International, UNICEF, and the Consortium for Street Children. She has also worked for the United Nations Development Program and led country offices for Oxfam and Médecins Sans Frontières. Caroline joined IDRC in February 2021 and now leads the innovative research teams working with southern institutions on inclusive, accountable, and transparent governance so that ordinary people can claim their rights and influence the decisions that impact their lives.