Danielle Cornish-Spencer is the Head of Portfolio for Equal Education & Child Protection and a Principal Consultant at SDDirect, with over 20 years of experience in gender equality, disability inclusion, and social justice.
She specialises in creating inclusive education systems, integrating Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) principles, and driving organisational transformation through social norms change. Her expertise spans gender-based violence (GBV), women’s economic empowerment, LGBTI rights, sexual and reproductive health rights, gender-transformative programming, education, and child protection.
Danielle has led innovative safeguarding and GEDSI initiatives for the UK FCDO’s Girls’ Education Challenge, Irish Aid, the Asian and African Development Banks, UNICEF, and the Global Partnership for Education. Her leadership has strengthened safeguarding systems, improved reporting mechanisms, and fostered accountability, particularly in addressing systemic barriers and supporting marginalised learners. She has also developed child protection and GBV case management systems, Temporary Learning Spaces, and child-friendly spaces in response to humanitarian crises in East Africa.
A passionate advocate for inclusive education, Danielle applies evidence-based approaches to address the intersecting vulnerabilities faced by girls, children with disabilities, and marginalised groups. Her work includes technical contributions to Nigeria’s FCDO PLANE project, the Syria Education Programme, and leadership of education initiatives in South Sudan, Somalia, and Hong Kong. Danielle’s efforts continue to promote equity, inclusion, and justice across education and development sectors, creating learning environments where all children can thrive.
