Anneka Knutsson

Anneka Knutsson is the Chief of the Sexual and Reproductive Health Branch at the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). She has a lifelong experience in Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) that spans over 30 years. Anneka is a registered midwife with 15 years of clinical work; she has a teacher’s degree in Health Care Sciences and a PhD in Health Care Pedagogics, University of Göteborg. Her doctoral thesis 'To the best of my knowledge and for the good of my neighbor – a study of traditional birth attendants in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia' (2004) explored what factors and processes influence the development and transformation of the traditional midwives knowledge and practices. Her research work paved the way for her first employment in UNFPA as a midwife advisor in Bangladesh. Prior to joining UNFPA in her current position, Anneka was Head of Development Cooperation and deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Sweden in Addis Ababa. She has worked with SIDA as Director of Department for Human Development; and as Head of Unit for Health, education, Human Rights and Gender Equality. During this period she developed and led the Swedish Special initiative on SRHR.