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Board of Directors
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Maudy is an activist for human rights, gender, youth inclusivity, harm reduction and women who use drugs issues. She has experience contributing on these themes at national and regional (Asia-Pacific) levels. Maudy brings knowledge and working experience around quality and sustainability in comprehensive harm reduction services designed for women who use drugs.
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Eva is currently working as an illustrator and graphic designer involved in activities related to HIV/AIDS and its complexities in national and international fora. She is currently running a community based organisation called Pita Merah Yogyakarta focused on PLHIV rights, advocacy and capacity building. Living with HIV and with a history of drug use, Eva is keen to bring her experience into WHRIN network development.
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Grace has lived experience of incarceration for drug offenses, which has inspired her current dedication in paralegal work. She is a Community Engagement Specialist at the GAMMA Foundation, paving the way for inclusive dialogue, reducing stigma and discrimination, and protecting human rights. Grace is motivated for a brighter future for youth and people of diverse gender who use drugs.
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Putri works in coordination of peer support and harm reduction in West Java. During the past 7 years, she has provided support for women who use drugs in prison. She has represented on women who use drugs issues in several international events. Over the past five years, Putri has also been active in designing and implementing various campaigns to end the war on drugs.
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With a strong background in finance and administration for international organizations, Sulis brings strength to the functions and capacity of the WHRIN Board. Her working experience from educational institutions and non profit organisations is also of clear benefit to the Board. Sulis is enthusiastic about bringing these skills to an arena where they can support WHRIN goals and objectives.
Strategic Advisory Body
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Josephine Achieng' is a feminist activist with specific interests in centering sexworkers in harm reduction programmes. With lived experience of drug use, Josephine is committed to creating real space and resources for the unmet needs of sex worker drug users. Currently, she is the Deputy Director of Bar Hostess Empowerment and Support Programme; a sex worker-led organization in Kenya. She has also been active in designing and implementing various campaigns to end the war on drugs and advocating for gender responsive harm reduction services.
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Joelle is a nurse with 18 years of experience. They worked for 7 years as the Director of Women’s Services for the People’s Harm Reduction Alliance, and served on the Board of Directors for 4 years. They are a co-founder of the Academy of Perinatal Harm Reduction. They have been invited to speak at conferences convened by CDC, ANN, ACOG, and more. Their interest is the intersection of drug user rights and feminism. They became passionate about advocating for people who use drugs after realizing that everything they had been taught about drugs from childhood through nursing school was wrong.
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Lily Foster is an empowering feminist, women and children advocate and a fervent supporter of drug related prison sentence abolition. As a hardworking lived experience advocate, Lily utilizes her own journey to advocate for drug law reform and alternative sentencing. She actively contributes to the Reform Agenda Project Control Group, holds a prestigious seat on the Tasmanian Health Senate and her influence has also reached international forums. Lily is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Applied Health.
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Vielta Parkhomenko is a seasoned activist specializing in gender issues and harm reduction. With a Master's degree in Psychology, she brings over a decade of experience in NGO management, project coordination, and training development. Vielta has been instrumental in designing and implementing programs that empower key communities. Her work focuses on promoting human rights, preventing gender-based violence, and improving access to healthcare services. She is known for her dedication to social justice and her ability to inspire positive change in her community.
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Claire has been a member of WHRIN since 2011 and has served on the board since 2017, she is a long-term advocate for the provision of appropriate harm reduction services for women who use drugs. Claire is a public health specialist, with a background in providing harm reduction services to people who use drugs within both urban and rural environments in the United Kingdom.
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Fisayo is currently the Gender Program Advisor at YouthRISE Nigeria, a NGO mandated to promote access to quality health and rights for young people and most vulnerable communities in Nigeria. She is currently overseeing the gender responsive harm reduction program and coordinating YouthRISE Nigeria Drop-In-Centres which cater for women who use drugs. Oluwafisayo engages with young people by providing clinical care and support, counselling, and generation of evidence through research to inform policy and practices.
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Paulina is a Mexican social researcher, writer, and human rights advocate. She specialises in drug policy, gender issues, and harm reduction. As co-founder of the collective Nos Hacen Falta and advocate at SERPAJ, she supported families affected by enforced disappearances and feminicides. Paulina holds a Master's in Human Rights and Politics and currently writes for TalkingDrugs while also advocating for LGBTQ+ representation in performing arts.
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Ligia is a drug user, feminist and harm reduction activist. She currently coordinates the Advocacy Team of the European Network of People Who Use Drugs (EuroNPUD) and works with the Women's Team - SisterWUD. She is a member of the advisory board of CASO, the Portuguese association of drug users, where she contributes to peer-led harm reduction and human rights initiatives, especially with a focus on women. Graduated in Psychology in 1997, she has worked as a psychologist, trainer and harm reduction practitioner in extension teams and in prisons.
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Based in Lebanon, Jessica builds from lived experience with compassion and a sense of community
She has worked for the past 6 years with a harm reduction NGO in lebanon where she became further acquainted with the struggles faced by individuals who use drugs including those who are OAT clients, with a passion for sharing rights based knowledge.
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Shanta is Social Inclusion and Gender Equality expert. She had worked in the government of Nepal and different International Non-government Organizations in Nepal, Eritrea, Tanzania, and Zambia. She is the first female National Human Rights Magna Meet National Coordinator of Nepal and has established a Women’s Human Rights Award in 2015. She has been engaging in the United Nations processes and advocates for harm reduction and gender-responsive development cooperation.
