Maria is a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of The Gambia. She has over a decade of experience in human rights work, especially in the areas of women and girls’ rights.

Maria’s previous roles include serving as Legal Officer at the National Human Rights Commission in The Gambia, and as an Adjunct Lecturer at the University of The Gambia, where she lectured Constitutional Law, Administrative Law and International Human Rights Law. She is also a Country Expert for Global Citizenship Observatory Robert Schuman Centre and has published the Country Report on The Gambia. She holds an LLM from Trinity College Dublin and an LLB from the University of The Gambia.