What do you do in the industry?
I am a global expert on human rights and development outcomes, and for the past several years have focused one human right in particular- the right to be recognized as a person before the law, “legal identity.” I have always been able to look at large amounts of data and information and ‘connect the dots’ in order to identify patterns and interdependencies. For much of my career I have helped break down siloes within and across institutions as an advisor to governments, multinational organizations and private sector companies from local startups to Fortune 100 companies. I try to raise awareness of issues by presenting information to various audiences that demonstrates why identity matters to them. That’s the secret to inspiring action among a diverse group of stakeholders. About two years ago I was tasked by the Executive Office of the United Nations Secretary General to develop a workplan that would build coherence on the issue of identity across the United Nations system, and the World Bank and to achieve this in 6 months. If anyone asks me how that went, “I plead the 5th!”
How did you end up in the world of identity?
Most of my life I was fascinated by both development and identity because 5 out of my 6 brothers are Ethiopian and didn’t have a birth certificate. I remember when this became an issue of contention in my family. It was when my 14-year-old brother found out he had to be 16 to get a driver’s license before he could borrow my parent’s car. He came home from school and informed my parents with conviction that there had been a monumental mistake and demanded his age be corrected to his “real age” which was 16 (naturally). He had similar epiphany when he was nearing 18 and again just before age 21 but with slightly less resolve. I’m waiting for the day he decides to play his hand in reverse, I’m quite certain he will be celebrating his 39th birthday on repeat for at least a decade.
It is also because of my brothers that I spent a few years in northern Ethiopia, in Tigray, just after the war with Eritrea had ended. At the time, Ethiopia was the third poorest country in the world, and was experiencing the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. What impacted me the most was that, event at this challenging time, that there was clearly resilience, strong social fabrics within communities and an entrepreneurial spirit. In the span of a decade, Ethiopia became one of the fastest growing economies in the world and reduced the incidence of HIV/AIDS by 77%. This experience instilled a deep sense of purpose and passion for understanding development challenges in the context of the broader ecosystem, and not as autonomous challenges.
What does a normal week look like?
There is no normal! Every week is an adventure. I could be pioneering a new venture with the United Nations, working on innovative solutions to close the global identity gap, working with governments to solve bottlenecks, writing academic papers, speaking at major identity events on a broad range of topics or just talking to people about legal identity. In addition to the cross-sectoral nature of identity, each system is unique and can include a combination of legal, functional, digital and biometric identity components of any given identity system, together identity it is unbelievably complex and challenging. That is why I am so passionate about my work. My favorite role in the industry is when I have an opportunity to work with people at a local or country level. I used to laugh when they call it sending someone from headquarters (HQ) to a country office. “Technical assistance”, I always say, should have been called “help HQ get a clue!” Every time I have a chance to interact at the country level, I go into full learning mode. I listen and try to learn as much as I can about the challenges and opportunities at national, regional/district and community levels. That is where the real work is happening, where the truly innovative solutions are being implemented and where the answers to real-life challenges can be found. It is also my job to advocate globally for what is needed locally. Top-down development is one of the greatest failures in projects, along with the lack of cross-sectoral integration, donor driven development – not to mention the simple addition of individual egos or personal agendas.
"We need more women in identity to speak up and speak out about the gender barriers to an identity. Not just on their fundamental human right to an identity but the very real harm faced by women and girls when they don’t have a legal identity."
Where do you see the most progress around the world?
I think there is a tendency to focus too much on success stories and short-term results and not enough on the outliers, the most challenging country context and the hard to reach populations and the last 25%. Donors want to see immediate results and measurable impacts, but this is not sustainable. As countries get closer to universal registration, or when the numbers are small or the country context is especially challenging, the attention and support for identity efforts tend to dissipate. This is a great disservice to the people living in the places that need it the most. Sometimes averages mask the disparities which exist both geographically as well within certain populations. It is similarly limiting to focus only on the most promising indicator. For example, there are 70 million children under 5 who have their birth registered but do not have a birth certificate. A birth certificate is required in many countries for children to go to school, receive life saving medical interventions, including vaccines and social support grants intended to lift families out of poverty. Also, efforts only focusing on children under 5 exclude older children and adults who have the same fundamental right to a legal identity. And in many countries, the ID of the parent is required to register the birth of a child. It’s a full identity ecosystem.
There is an urgent need to end the fragmentation of identity efforts which result in wasted resources and perpetuate system failures. Efforts should be mutually reinforcing, focused on interoperability between relevant sectors so relevant data can be shared across systems in a secure manner. Identity is a shared value. Greater investments in pooled funding mechanisms would enable this level of cohesive action. For example, efforts around modernizing national identity systems should include resources dedicated to modernizing civil registration systems to enable interoperability and vice versa.
There is a lot of focus on the digital revolution and ‘digital identity systems’ which encompasses everything from functional to legal. While functional digital identity efforts are the low hanging fruit, they are limited in scope. We need greater emphasis on modernizing civil registration systems in countries where there is a much higher return on investment once you are looking at society as a whole. Not only are civil registration systems critical for upholding fundamental human rights but they are a catalyst for a whole range of socio-economic development targets and they provide governments with a source of real time demographic data that can be used across government systems. This reduces reliance on fragmented, costly and infrequent household surveys.
For instance, as the world rapidly approaches the tipping point on global warming, it is paramount that any development of digital identity should include moving to renewable energy sources to power the systems needed. So renewable energy and sustainability should also be inherent in every ‘digital identity’ conversation and development project.
Why is Women in Identity important?
We need more women in identity to speak up and speak out about the gender barriers to an identity. Not just on their fundamental human right to an identity but the very real harm faced by women and girls when they don’t have a legal identity. Women are both underrepresented in the identity sector and under-identified as a population. For women and girls, not having a legal identity compounds their vulnerabilities and exacerbates the many inequities and gender related human rights violations they suffer. There is also plenty of evidence that shows exclusion of this magnitude contributes directly to poorer economic and development outcomes. For example, girls with lower levels of education are at greater risk of being married as children. A birth certificate can help prevent child marriage by proving that the girl is still a child. And a birth certificate is often a requirement to enroll in or complete school and to obtain the social assistance intended to lift families out of poverty.
Cost and distance are among the top barriers to obtaining a legal identity document. While birth registration is often free or inexpensive, the certificate is not. If registration is not completed within the legal time limit (30 days in most countries) there are often fines and fees. Registration centers are often in city centers, making it especially difficult for families living in remote areas, where transportation can be infrequent or costly and who may have to take several days off work to complete the actual registration process.
Gender discrimination in civil registration laws remains a hidden issue. Over 45 countries require a father to be named or present in order for the birth registration to be legitimate. That means that for any woman where the father is unavailable, unwilling, unknown or unable to claim paternity, she is legally prevented from registering the birth of her child.
Your TED Talk, “What if a single human right could change the world?”, given at the “We the Future” special event during the 2019 UN General Assembly, has had over 2 million views. That’s a phenomenal reaction to what is a great overview of why identity is important and what people can do about it in 8 minutes.
It was the most challenging thing I’ve ever done as I’m used to speaking at global and regional identity conferences and events for work, which are mainly attended by other identity professionals, so I often feel like I’m ‘preaching to the choir.’ The hardest thing was trying to reprogram my brain from work mode and away from expressing my passion through incisive technical jargon.
I had to allow myself to be truly vulnerable and got lots of inspiration from Brene Brown’s TED talk on “The Power of Vulnerability”. I had to remember to be kind to myself and be grateful.
So I was kind to myself when I stayed out till 2 am catching up with old friends and then waking up at 4am with a pounding headache!
And grateful for that second packet of hotel instant coffee!
I remembered to be kind to myself after seeing my haggard reflection, and was grateful that TED had my hair and make-up covered.
But the greatest need for kindness that day was also something I am most grateful for. In April, 2018 I suffered a critical incident on mission while working for UNICEF. The severity of the trauma resulted in debilitating cognitive and physical impacts, many of which I am still coping with today. My TED Talk was the first public speaking engagement I had done since the incident, and I was terrified it would be a flop. To date it has had over 2 million views and reminds me every day how much there is to be grateful for!
If you were CEO of a company, what would you make compulsory and what would you ban?
I would give everyone in the company six months of paid family leave to cover any form of maternity, paternity, adoption leave or to take care of family members who are sick or even, after they have passed. I think this would really help people share the caretaking burden, as well as give them the time to be with their loved ones at crucial life moments instead of “at work”.
People shouldn’t have to choose between work and missing the first or last months of life.
I would provide employees with some paid personal days each year to support mental health and wellbeing.
And I would ban meetings on Mondays and Fridays. I find people are much more efficient if their days are not disrupted with meetings.