Alda Facio

Founder, Women’s Human Rights Education Institute (WHRI)

Alda Facio Montejo is a Costa Rican feminist jurist, writer, teacher and international expert in gender and human rights in Latin America.

Indai Sajor

Senior Gender Advisor for Humanitarian & Emergency Response, Norwegian Refugee Council

Indai Sajor is a gender, humanitarian, social development, human rights, rule of law/gender justice and conflict prevention management with more than 25 years of experience.

Hendrica Okondo

Global Advisor and Researcher, Women Rights Empowerment and Partnerships in Africa (WREPA)

Hendrica Okondo is passionate and determined to ensure women in all their diversities claim their rights with special focus on young women in rural Africa particularly right to education and health

Ilana Landsberg-Lewis

Founder, WizWork

Ilana was the Executive Director of the Stephen Lewis Foundation (SLF), with she co-founded with her father, Stephen Lewis, from its inception in March, 2003-February, 2019. Ilana has been deeply honoured and grateful to learn from indomitable grandmothers and older women activists the world over.

Edna Aquino

Founder, Lola Aktibista

Edna Aquino has spent more than four decades campaigning for rights in the Phillipines.

LaShawnDa Pittman

Associate Professor Joff Hanauer Honors Professor in Western Civilization

Author of Grandmothering While Black: A Twenty-First Century Story of Love, Coercion, and Survival

Teresa Montana

Executive Director, Wisdom of the Elders

Army vet, educator, mediator. Indigenous advocate fostering education & historical healing.

Patsy George

Member of the Order of Canada, Human Rights and Social Justice Advocate

Patsy George is a prominent advocate for human rights and social justice. A social worker, she served in many roles, including those of director of Multiculturalism BC and advisor on community development for the province. Empowering communities has always been important to her, and she has been an advocate for immigrant women, visible minorities, children and First Nations people. She has demonstrated her leadership qualities and dedication through her work on behalf of a variety of social organizations, including the Boys and Girls Club of British Columbia and Parents Together. Committed to fostering a more equitable world, she is a director of the Stephen Lewis Foundation and the president of the Vancouver branch of the United Nations Association in Canada.

Gladys Acosta

Chair, Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women

Gladys is an Expert sitting on the CEDAW Committee – the United Nations Committee that oversees the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.

Mary Balikungeri

Director and Founder of Rwanda Women’s Network

ary has made it her life’s mission to end gender based violence in Rwanda by empowering victims to heal and transform into independent, influential leaders in their communities. . She is currently the Chairperson of the African Network of Women Shelters (ANWS), an affiliate of the Global Network of Women Shelters (GNWS) in which she serves as the representative board member of the Huairou Commission and a member of the UN Women VAW – Peace and Security Reference Team. Mary’s work widely has informed the gender equality and women’s human rights agenda at national, regional and international platforms. These include Profemmes Twese Hamwe, FEMNET, and Eastern African Sub-regional Support Initiation for Advancement of Women (EASSI) and Global Network of Women Peace builders.

Aayushi Aggarwal

Feminist researcher, activist and writer and Associate, Gender at Work

Aayushi is a feminist researcher, activist and writer. As an associate, Aayushi is co-developing Feminist Schools, an action-and peer-based learning programme focused on leadership skills-building coupled with experiential learning about gender justice and education. Aayushi is also busy imagining the Gender at Work Podcast with the co-hosts Aruna and Joanne, as an executive producer. She previously worked as a communications manager at Gender at Work and has been engaged in various research and communications projects in multiple countries, at different levels. She has also been associated with UN Women India MCO and Forum-Asia, managing and supporting their communications and programs. She holds a Masters’s degree in Human Rights and Democratization from the European Inter-University for Human Rights and Democratization; a Master’s in Research in Political Science from Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, and a Master’s in English Literature. She brings her passion for storytelling into her work and research on gender, human rights and development.

Allison Kimmich

Consultant, Formerly of National Women’s Studies Association

Allison Kimmich is a nonprofit leader and consultant skilled in securing grants, revitalizing organizations, and empowering women through leadership programs, holding degrees in English, French, and women's studies.

Diana Shoemaker

Executive Director, Elders Action Network

Diana Shoemaker has over 25 years of experience in community and educational program development, including serving as President and CEO of Habitat for Humanity Manatee, known for her consensus-building approach in creating affordable housing.

Samara Randhawa

Senior Change Leader, New Longevity at Ashoka

A Senior Change Leader at Ashoka's Arlington headquarters, has honed her career through roles spanning global communications, strategic planning, partnerships, and framework change strategy and leveraging her dual citizenship and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Carleton University.