Australia
Holly is from Sydney, Australia. She works as an educator specialising in Music and Special education. She is committed to providing a supportive learning environment and advocating for inclusivity in education. Her dedication lies in empowering students from diverse backgrounds and abilities through quality education.
She in actively involved in IAW in various capacities:
– Current IAW Board Member
– IAW Assistant Membership Secretary
– IAW Media Team
– Member of IAW Affiliate Women’s Electoral Lobby
Cameroon
Anne Pélagie Yotchou Tzudjom is a social entrepreneur and women’s rights advocate.
Since 2003 Anne is active in Cameroon and abroad in initiatives that advance women’s rights, women’s empowerment, women’s health, girls’ education, justice, and sustainable development with several charity activities to end poverty and hunger in grassroots communities and also to give joy and hope to underprivileged, disadvantaged and vulnerable persons (women, men, youth and children). She stands tall when it comes to empowering/inspiring women and girls to DARE and ACHIEVE. Always committed to everything that can contribute to make the world a better place for all without any discrimination – a peaceful, just, inclusive and equal world, Anne strongly believes that “when people come together with one vision, they can change the Unimaginable into Possible”.
Her commitment grew from her personal life experience early 1999 when, as a teenager, she had to stop going to school to care for her two children. With so many violations of her own rights as a human being, as a girl, she dedicated her life to bringing her own small contribution to make the world a better place for all. Anne had two dreams for her life when she was a child: become a doctor or a lawyer. Destiny kept her from her dreams, but she is starting to catch up, this time to reinforce her educational skills and to be able to bring legal assistance to underprivileged, vulnerable and disadvantaged women and young girls.
Anne is lucky that destiny keeps helping her in that mission, which is not easy to fulfill, and she is doing it with love and passion. She is very proud to be part of IAW as a Board Member and also involved in some many projects with IAW such as Water and Pads for schoolgirls.
Denmark
Louise Vinther Alis represents Dansk Kvindesamfund
She 42 years old, married to a Turkish man with who she has 2 kids (son and a daughter), and two foster kids. She is fluent in English, Danish and Turkish.
She is an Environmental engineer and have extensive experience working in international corporations, the last decade in a major logistic and transportation company, and is currently Head of Audit and Quality Management in petroleum industry.
In parallel she has been active in politics and have been in various political and professional workgroups, recently elected chairperson of the work group for green transition of the Danish Social liberal party as well as elected member of the Climate Justice Committee under Liberals International, an international coalision of liberal and democratic parties of the world.
France
Souad Houssein (France-Djibouti) is the founder of the Pan-African Audiovisual and Cinema Observatory (OPAC). After studying global communication and international relations, she worked at the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) for nearly 25 years in the field of cinema and audiovisual in the countries of the South, members of the Francophonie, and more particularly in French-speaking African countries.
During her career, Souad has led and coordinated projects for the development and promotion of cinema in the South. Her mission has consisted in managing a funding mechanism for film and audiovisual production (Fonds image de la Francophonie), supporting capacity building of professionals and contributing to the improvement of the visibility of funded films.
She has also contributed, through reflections, projects or reform proposals, to the professionalization of film actors, the strengthening of South/South and North/South cooperation, the empowerment of production means, the adaptation to technological advances in the sector and the gender approach.
Previously, Souad worked in Djibouti in the framework of a functional literacy programme in French dedicated to women with the support of GTZ and UNICEF and is currently a member of the International Alliance of Women (IAW) where she contributes to communication.
Germany
Marion Böker is a delegate and elected Board member of the European Women’s Lobby (2023-2025), and since Oct. 2023 elected member of the Executive Committee of EWL. Marion’s IAW alternate in the EWL Board and elected alternate to the EWL Board (2023-2025) in the EWL Board is Lea Börgerding serving in the Oberservatory on Violence Against Women and Girls of the EWL. Marion is the Chair of the Feminist Economics working group of EWL and various other bodies.
Marion Böker is the founder and director of Consultancy for Human Rights & Gender Issues, Berlin, since 2004 . She works as a consultant on international, regional, and local level for the implementation of human rights of individuals and groups by interventions, campaigns, or complaints under the UN Human Rights Treaties. She provides expertise for Civil Society Organizations, administration and politics and serves as an expert on the implementation of Gender Budgeting. She has a focus on the UNSCR 1325 “Women, Peace and Security” and offers capacity building trainings for human rights and peace activists.
Nepal
Goma Devi Bastola is the president of RUWON Nepal and also acts as managing director. She has fellowship of National Endowment for Democracy NED in 2016. She is also a Soroptimist. She is an experienced networker, has very good contacts, both nationally and internationally and is a natural public speaker.
She has been working with the Rural Women’s Network Nepal (RUWON) since 2011 and RUWON is the associated member of IAW. She grew up and attended school and university in Sindhuli District, which has provided her with a valuable insight into the challenges and inequalities faced by women and girls living in rural Nepal. As a social worker she is specialized in women’s and children’s rights. This contributed towards her desire to become actively involved within the sector of women and girl’s rights, education and empowerment.
Norway
Hege Elisabeth Løvbak holds a Masters degree in Sociology from the University of Oslo and has long experience initiating and leading projects in the higher education sector.
Hege has spent her career developing equality and diversity policies and facilitating competence building focusing on cultural change.
She represents the Norwegian Association for Women’s Rights and has been active in the organization since 2017 in the Oslo branch where she has served in several capacities such as associate leader and leader.
Switzerland
Dr. Sibylle von Heydebrand is a Swiss lawyer. She studied in Geneva and Basel (Switzerland) and received her PhD in Law (Dr. iur.) from the University of Basel. She is a proven expert on political rights and has a long experience as a lecturer. Her native languages are French and German. She also speaks English and Italian as second languages.
Since 2020, she has been the Representative, and since 2021 she acts as the Main Human Rights Representative of the IAW at the United Nations in Geneva. With her team, she monitors and reports to IAW on human rights activities of the UN entities based in Geneva. IAW’s human rights Representatives at UN Geneva advocate for the rights of women and girls in all their diversity.
Since 2020 she represents the IAW at the NGO Committee on the Status of Women in Geneva and serve as their Financial Auditor.
In 2022, Sibylle was elected to the Board of IAW.
She is committed to improving the position of women and girls in society and works to enhance the visibility of women’s societal involvement.
The Netherlands
Dra. Artemis Westenberg is a Dutch lobbyist and negotiator. She holds an M.A. in History, with minors in Islam and in International Relations, from Leiden University. She is an expert on women’s political rights – a veracious fighter and speaker.
In addition to her feminist advocacy work, Artemis is an expert on human spaceflight, successfully lobbying the US Congress to have NASA bring humans to Mars by 2033.
As President of Dutch Association for Women’s Interests, Women’s Work and Equal Citizenship, one of the founding members of the IAW in 1904, Artemis has been very vocal about what women need to be that equal citizen.
Artemis is known for one thing, regardless of the field: She cannot stand discrimination of any kind. She strongly believes each one of us has the right to have a life without the impediments of bias dictating what those lives should be.
As member of the IAW Board this Triennium, Artemis intends to improve the ability of member organizations to obtain visas to the USA for the UN CSW and other international meetings in order to achieve a better representation of those organizations in shaping our world.