Baby Penny Tyawa was born on 31 May 1959.

Baby was caught up in the student uprising while doing form 4 (grade 11), arrested under the notorious Section 6 of the Internal Security Act and detained without trial for almost 18 months. She was a founder member of the Congress of South African Students (COSAS - 1981).

She enrolled for a BA degree in Psychology with Unisa and did her post-graduate studies with the University of Western Cape. Through her studies she was active in the then Federation of Transvaal Women. Baby has a Masters Degree (M Ed.) in Educational Psychology from Manchester University in the United Kingdom.

After obtaining her degree, she taught part-time in Braamfontein, Johannesburg. In 1994, she worked at Matla Trust (Gender Desk on Voter Education). She was a full-time psychologist at Forest Town for Learners with Cerebral Palsy and Specific Learning Disability.

Baby was an intern psychologist at the Counselling and Careers Unit: Psychotherapy, for students and staff at Wits University in 1996. From 1997 to 2001, she worked at Wits University's Specialised Education School of Human and Community Development as a lecturer and course co-ordinator. Baby is a registered Psychologist with the Health Professions Council of South Africa.

She joined GCIS in Pretoria in 2002, as Chief Director: Policy and Research.

In August 2007, Baby was appointed Deputy Chief Executive Officer: Strategy and Content Management.