Gemima Neves Barlow serves as Regional Director for Southern and East Africa at the National Democratic Institute, where she oversees a multi-million dollar portfolio of democracy-strengthening programs across the region. She served as Deputy Regional Director from 2019 to 2024. During over two decades of experience at NDI, she has directed strategic initiatives to support election integrity, legislative strengthening, political party development, public debt transparency and executive transitions. Ms. Barlow has also managed several high profile international election observation missions to such countries as Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya and Nigeria. Her track record with strategic planning, crisis response and mitigation and building effective partnerships between  governments, civil society organizations, and international donors has proven crucial in navigating closing civic spaces and complex political environments.  Ms. Barlow has contributed her expertise to high-level discussions at the Brookings Institution and on United Nations-African Union panels on democratic development in Africa. Prior to joining NDI, Ms. Barlow served  at The Africa-America Institute, leading professional exchange programs for African leaders through U.S. Department of State initiatives. She holds an M.A. in African-American and African Studies from The Ohio State University and earned a B.A. in Philosophy from Lincoln University, PA.