Forum 2000 Directory of Women Experts



The Directory of Women Experts/Speakers is an initiative of the Working Group on Women, Democracy, Human Rights, Peace and Security (WDHRS), one of the working groups of International Coalition for Democratic Renewal. The aim of this initiative is to ensure a fair number of women speakers, panelists, leaders and experts as equal partners to male counterparts by providing a database of female representatives from different fields such as: democracy, politics, human rights, accountability and governance. The creation of this database follows up on the Call to Pledge Gender Equality issued in November 2020 by the Working Group calling for a commitment to equal women's representation. This database should be used as a practical tool to meet the requirements of this document.


Memory Kadau

Director, Adult Rape Clinic (AC), Zimbabwe
Regional focus: Africa

Memory Kadau is a Director of Adult Rape Clinic (AC), National Secretary of Women's Coalition in Zimbabwe (WCOZ) and Co-Founder of DURA, organization focused on mental health, well-being and women´s rights. Her expertise includes: democracy, governance, rule of law, politics, human rights, women's rights, specifically sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR) and mental health.

Nyaradzo Mashayamombe

Founding Executive Director, Tag a Life International (TaLI), Zimbabwe
Regional focus: Africa

Nyaradzo Mashayamombe is a Founding Executive Director of Tag a Life International (TaLI) and CEO of Identities Media Holdings. She chairs the Working Group on Women, Democracy, Human Rights, Peace and Security (WDHRS) within the Forum 2000´s International Coalition for Democratic Renewal. Her expertise includes: democracy, governance, rule of law, politics, human rights, women's rights and accountability.

Glanis Changachirere

Director, Institute for Young Women Development , Zimbabwe
Regional focus: Africa

Glanis Changachirere is the Director of the Institute for Young Women Development and founding Coordinator of the African Women Leaders Forum.

Irena Kalhousová

Head, Herzl Center of Israel Studies, Czechia
Regional focus: Middle East, Central Europe

Irena Kalhousová is Head of the Herzl Center of Israel Studies and Associate Professor at Charles University. She is a member of the Programme Committee of the Forum 2000 Foundation. Areas of her expertise are Israel, the Arab-Israeli conflict and security in the Middle East, Central Europe.

Kateřina Králová

Associate Professor, Charles University in Prague, Czechia
Regional focus: Greece, Central and South-East Europe

Kateřina Králová is an Associate Professor at the Department of Russian and East European Studies, Charles University in Prague. Her research interests are contemporary history, Holocaust and memory studies, post-conflict society, historical migration.

Gulnara Shahinian

Chair, Democracy Today, Armenia
Regional focus: Europe, Caucasus, Africa

Gulnara Shahinian is the Chair of Democracy Today. In 2004, she was elected Vice President of the Intergovernmental Commission to prepare COE convention on action against trafficking. Ms. Shahinian also served as the UN Human Rights Council Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery.

Edipcia Dubón

Coordinator, Diálogo de Mujeres por la Democracia, Nicaragua
Regional focus: Central America

Edipcia Dubón is a Coordinator of Diálogo de Mujeres por la Democracia. She focuses on democracy, political and economic situation in Central America and especially Nicaragua with an emphasis on women and youth.

Joy Namunoga

Advocacy Officer, ActionAid International, Uganda
Regional focus: East Africa, USA

Joy Namunoga is an Advocacy Officer at ActionAid International, responsible for Governance and Social Accountability. Her expertise includes: anti-corruption, transparency and accountability, open data, program management, research, public policy, civic technology, community engagement, social accountability, health systems supply chain and private public partnerships between citizens, government agencies and civil society.

Violeta Granera

Leader, Blue and White National Unity, Nicaragua

Violeta Granera works with civil society for more than 30 years. She is the leader of Blue and White National Unity in Nicaragua.

Annemarie Sancar

Network and Programme Manager, PeaceWomen Across the Globe, Switzerland

Annemarie Sancar is an expert in peacebuilding and non-violent conflict management. She is a Network and Programme Manager at PeaceWomen Across the Globe, international network of 1000 women nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005.

Rudo Chigudu

PhD Candidate, University of Pretoria, Zimbabwe
Regional focus: Africa

Rudo Chigudu is a PhD Candidate at University of Pretoria. She focuses on LGBTIQ.

Maria Malomalo

Director, Mwana Pwo, Angola
Regional focus: Southern Africa

Maria Malomalo is a Director of Mwana Pwo, organization, whose mission is to promote and protect sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women. She studied Media, Society Studies and Project Management. Currently studying towards MPhil in Sexual and Reproductive Rights, carrying out a research in Adolescent sexual behaviour, sexual exploitation of girls and young women in mining communities, child marriage and HIV/AIDS among adolescents.

Perry Aritua

Director, Women's Democracy Network-Uganda, Uganda
Regional focus: Africa

Perry Aritua is the Director of Uganda chapter of Women's Democracy Network-Uganda which seeks to empower women to pursue activism and leadership in the public sphere to enhance gender equality.

Irina Ghaplanyan

Former Deputy Minister of Environment , Armenia
Regional focus: Europe, USA

Irina Ghaplanyan is an independent expert, politician and a Former Deputy Minister of Environment in Armenia.

Armine Ishkanian

Associate Professor, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), Armenia
Regional focus: Europe, United Kingdom

Armine Ishkanian is Executive Director of the Atlantic Fellows for Social and Economic Equity programme at the International Inequalities Institute and Associate Professor in the Department of Social Policy. Her expertise includes: civil society, democracy, development and social transformation.

Viktora Avakova

Programs Director, UMCOR-NGO, Armenia
Regional focus: Armenia, Europe

Viktoria Avakova is a Health and Anti-trafficking project coordinator at UMCOR-NGO.

Luisa del Turco

Director, Centro Sudi Difesa Civile, Italy
Regional focus: Europe, Italy

Luisa del Turco is a Director of Centro Sudi Difesa Civile. She is also PhD and Trainer at the University of Rome Sapienza.

Heidi Meinzolt

Europe Regional Representative, Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, Germany
Regional focus: Europe, OSCE area

Heidi Meinzolt is a Member of the Board of Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, where she is responsible for Europe. She is a founding member of the “Women’s security Council” promoting the implementation of UNSCR1325 and the Women-Peace-and Security Agenda/WPS.

Cristiana Chamorro

Director, Fundación Violeta Barrios de Chamorro, Nicaragua

Cristiana Chamorro is a candidate for the presidency for November 2021 election. She is also a Director of Fundación Violeta Barrios de Chamorro.

Lucía Pineda

Director, 100% noticias , Nicaragua

Lucía Pineda is a Director of TV channel 100% Noticias. She is also a journalist in Nicaragua and Costa Rica.

Lucy Valentis

President, Nicaraguan Chamber of Tourism

Lucy Valentis is the President of the Nicaraguan Chamber of Tourism and a leader of the business sector.

Tolekan Ismailova

Director, Human Rights Movement: Bir Duino Kyrgyzstan, Kyrgyzstan
Regional focus: Kyrgyzstan

Tolekan Ismailova is a human rights expert focused on women's rights. She is a Director of 'Human Rights Movement: Bir Duino Kyrgyzstan', which provides legal advice, and works on advocacy for women's rights, labour and land rights, the monitoring of elections and budget transparency of government organs and the promotion of the freedom of association.

Tinotenda Chihera

Youth and Gender Advocate, Institute for Young Women Development, Zimbabwe
Regional focus: Africa

Sandra Zenda

Program Coordinator, Institute for Young Women Development, Zimbabwe
Regional focus: Africa

Sandra Zenda is Program Coordinator at Institute for Young Women Development, where she focuses on youth, gender and environment.

Jana Soukupová

Founder and CEO, Youth, Speak Up!, Czechia
Regional focus: Czechia

Jana Soukupová is Founder and CEO of project Youth, Speak Up!. Her expertise includes political and civic engagement of young people and political science.

Cecilia Chimbiri

National Youth Vice Chair, MDC Alliance Youth Assembly, Zimbabwe
Regional focus: Africa

Cecilia Chimbiri is the first female National Youth Vice Chair in the MDC Alliance Youth Assembly. She focuses on journalism, communications, youth expertise, human rights, governance and democracy.

Maryam Garba Usman

Executive Director, Center for Advocacy in Gender and Social Inclusion (CAGSI), Nigeria

Maryam Garba Usman is Executive Director of the Center for Advocacy in Gender and Social Inclusion. She holds a BSC(Ed) Physics and has Diploma in Industrial Chemistry. She focuses on gender and social inclusion.

Iveta Radičová

Former Prime Minister , Slovakia
Regional focus: European Union

Iveta Radičová is a sociologist and Former Prime Minister of Slovakia. She is also Professor at the Bratislava International School of Liberal Arts, Dean of Faculty of Mass Media at Pan-European University and European Coordinator of the Mediterranean Corridor at European Commission.

Jana Hybášková

Special Representative, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Czechia
Regional focus: Middle East, North and Sub-Saharan Africa

Jana Hybášková is Special Representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for support of Czechs in EU institutions and international organizations. She served as the EU Ambassador to Iraq and Namibia. Her expertise include: democratization, diplomacy, EU, extremism, development cooperation and humanitarian aid and terrorism.

Petra Moravcová

Product Marketing Manager, AVAST, Czechia

Petra Moravcová is Product Marketing Manager at AVAST. She is currently focusing on aspects of user privacy and the software that is being developed in this regard, which is an integral part of cybersecurity.

Baia Pataraia

Executive Director, union 'Sapari', Georgia

Baia Pataraia is a lawyer, civil activist and Executive Director of women's organisation union "Sapari". She focuses on gender-based violence, discrimination, political and economic empowerement.

Maiko Ichihara

Associate Professor, Hitotsubashi University, Japan

Maiko Ichihara is an Associate Professor in the Graduate School of Law at Hitotsubashi University, Japan, and a Visiting Scholar at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Neelam Deo

Ambassador (ret.), Indian Foreign Service, India
Regional focus: USA, South Asia

Neelam Deo is a former diplomat with a specialization in American politics and South Asia. She has served as the Joint Secretary for Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Burma and the Maldives, was the Indian Ambassador to Denmark and Ivory Coast, served in Indian embassies in Washington D.C., Bangkok and Rome, and also as Consul General in New York.

Eileen Donahoe

Executive Director, Global Digital Policy Incubator, Stanford University, USA

Eileen Donahoe is Executive Director of the Global Digital Policy Incubator at Stanford University. Cyber Policy Center GDPI is a global multi-stakeholder collaboration hub for development of policies that reinforce human rights and democratic values in digitized society.

Leyla Yunus

Director , Institute for Peace and Democracy, Azerbaijan
Regional focus: Caucasus

Leyla Yunus is a human rights defender and expert on problems with human rights. She is the Director of Institute for Peace and Democracy, which is one of the most authoritative human rights defending and research centers in the Southern Caucasus. Ms. Yunus has published extensively on regional security, state-building, democratization, and human rights in the Caucasus. Ms. Yunus received the prestigious honor of the International Theodor-Haecker-Prize and became a Chevalier of the French Legion of Honour.

Sook Jong Lee

Professor, Sungkyunkwan University, South Korea
Regional focus: South Korea, Japan, East Asian countries

Sook Jong Lee is a professor of public administration at Sungkyunkwan University and a Co-Representative, of Asia Democracy Research Network (South Korea). Her research interests include multilateralism, democracy, and civil societies.

Sonja Biserko

President, Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia, Serbia

Sonja Biserko is a Serbian campaigner for human rights. She is the Founder and President of the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia. In 2013, she was appointed as a member of the United Nations human rights investigation into North Korea.