Our Network

Shannon Hardy is a first-generation graduate and lawyer from Sri Lanka. She is currently working as a Project Officer for UN Women, and acts as the government focal point working closely with the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs. She was an Erasmus+ scholar, and completed her legal apprenticeship at the Attorney-General’s Department, Sri Lanka. She has co-authored numerous publications on important topics such as period poverty, workplace sexual harassment, gender-based violence and women in politics.

Rita Kamazima, a Tanzanian-born global citizen, is deeply committed to service, youth empowerment, gender justice, and international development. Rita has served extensively with US Governmental Agencies including the Peace Corps, the US Department of State, USAID, and FDA. Rita’s gender justice efforts thus far have focused on amplification of marginalized voices and advocating for inclusion, diversity, and gender equality by championing initiatives that take a holistic person-centered approach and aim to ensure that women and girls are not left behind in public health efforts.

Axana Soltan is an American international lawyer, research scholar, and advocate for women’s rights, education, and gender equity. She received the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Justitia Award from the Palace of Justice within the Supreme Court of Vienna, Austria. Named to Forbes 30 Under 30 in 2024, Soltan was recognized as "one of the zealous fighters against the Taliban regime" for her impactful work in women's rights and education. Currently, Axana is studying at the University of Oxford as an Eisenhower Global Scholar in public policy and serves as the Chief Senior Advisor to the President of Oxford Union.

Noemi Grütter is currently serving at the Global Alliance for Green and Gender Action (GAGGA), working at the intersection of climate justice and gender justice, focused on cross-mouvement building. As the co-president of Santé Sexuelle Suisse, she created the first Youth Network of activists in Switzerland. She has worked at Amnesty International, the UN (UNFPA) in Rwanda and for Equipop, an organisation specialized in SRHR in Western Africa.

Muetter Iliqud is a Uyghur academic activist and human rights lawyer with years of experience advocating against the ongoing persecution of Uyghurs and other Turkic minorities in China. As a researcher with the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation and Uyghur Transitional Justice Database, she has focused on gathering first-hand testimonies from survivors of China’s internment camps, preparing trial materials, and documenting injuries.

Deborah Akello is a founder of Women and Girls Rights Advocacy Uganda (WAGRAU) in 2020 which is committed to reducing gender-based violence and inequality in her rural community of Serere via advocacy, awareness, legal representation and empowerment. Deborah received both her undergraduate and law degrees from Uganda Christian University in Kampala.

Tara Grace Connolly is a feminist activist and advocate from West Belfast. She was the first person from the North/Northern Ireland to serve as Ireland’s UN Youth Delegate, representing 1.3 million Irish young people at the United Nations. She currently sits on the All-Island Women’s Forum, an initiative of the National Women’s Council

Sarah Imran is a Political Science PhD Candidate with a concentration in Feminist Comparative International Politics. She has built a career at the intersection of policy, advocacy, and creative communications work that advances gender equity and gender justice. Sarah is also a mission-driven artist and illustrator, and her art is grounded in gender, racial, and social justice. She is inspired by feminist movements, nature, joyful design, her Pakistani roots, and her baby daughter.

Anastase Ndagijimana is a tireless gender and education activist focusing on positive masculinity and men's engagement in gender equality and storytelling to reshape norms and beliefs. He holds many advisory roles including the Rwanda Men Engage Network Youth Coordinator, the Deputy Chairperson at AfriYAN, Chairperson for Young African Leaders Regional Leadership Center. Most importantlyl Anastase is the Founder and Executive Director of We Got Your Back NGO

Jhuma Sen is an Advocate practicing at the Calcutta High Court and the Supreme Court, where she has represented survivors of sexual violence, domestic violence, trafficking, and sexual harassment, as well as disability rights groups, workers unions, farmers groups, tribal rights associations in a range of matters. Her list of achievements is too long to mention here, and she has received numerous prestigious fellowships from leading universities, including a few in our own backyard here: Brown and Harvard. She also serves as an Adjunct Faculty at the National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata.

Yasmina Benslimane is an award-winning feminist activist, consultant, and women's empowerment coach from Morocco. As the founder of Politics4Her and Climate Sirens, Yasmina is dedicated to advancing gender equality and advocating for the political participation and representation of young women and girls from Global Majority countries. Her work focuses on critical issues such as climate justice, forced migration, gender-based violence, and peacebuilding. She has been recognized as one of BBC's 100 Most Influential and Inspiring Women of 2023, listed in Forbes 30 Under 30.