Mariam Sylla is a public health expert and social systems specialist with extensive knowledge of women’s and girls' reproductive and genital health. She holds a Master of Public Health (Social and Behavioral Sciences) from Indiana University and works across the fields of gender, Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH), child protection, and community interventions. In both Africa and the United States, she supports the design of evidence-based interventions that address social determinants and promote inclusive, sustainable development to improve the health of women and children.

At Bantare Impact Group, Mariam holds a dual role encompassing both organizational management and project management. Operationally, she oversees administrative systems and ensures the smooth functioning of internal structures and workflows. Simultaneously, she manages and coordinates projects while contributing directly to technical activities such as research, fieldwork, and capacity building for internal staff and partners.

She also contributes to project deliverables, organizes and facilitates meetings, ensures effective communication between stakeholders, and monitors progress to ensure projects meet deadlines and objectives. Additionally, she provides cross-departmental support as needed, notably contributing to proposal development and other strategic initiatives. She has co-led major missions, such as the Situation Analysis of adolescent girls in Liberia (a joint UNICEF-UNFPA initiative) and the training of Senegalese service providers on Gender Transformative Approaches and the fight against Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).

Mariam’s leadership reflects her conviction that health, gender, and education are inseparable pillars of social justice. She builds bridges between empirical knowledge and institutional systems, guiding Bantare’s partners toward the design of inclusive, local, and high-impact interventions. Her rigor and support-centered approach make her a central pillar of BIG’s work toward the progressive transformation of public health and social protection systems.