Human Rights Advocates Program

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Our Advocates

Between 1989 and 2023, more than 350 advocates from nearly 100 countries have attended the program. HRAP participants have ranged from early-career advocates who cut their teeth in very urgent human rights situations to mid-career advocates who have founded organizations. HRAP alumni have served as UN special rapporteurs, in the ministries of their governments, and at leading human rights organizations around the globe. They have been recognized with honors including the Rafto Prize, the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award and the Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders, the highest acknowledgment from the international human rights community.

Below are the biographies of current Advocates and descriptions by select alumni as to why they became human rights advocates.

To see a list of additional past Advocates click here.

To read about more about the work of our Advocates click here .

All years

Amisha Adhikari, 2023

Nepal

Amisha Adhikari

Nepal, 2023

Program Officer, Advocacy Forum Nepal

Amisha is a lawyer and a program officer at Advocacy Forum Nepal (AF), a leading human rights organization in Nepal. AF advocates for the rule of law, accountability, peacebuilding, and credible transitional justice in the country. Amisha's work involves documenting past war crimes of the internal armed conflict (1996-2006) and present human rights violations. In both cases, Amisha supports victims in getting access to justice through capacity-building initiatives and their participation in the national transitional justice debate. Beyond that, Amisha is actively involved in research and publications surrounding impunity, accountability, and reparation in Nepal. She has experience in communicating cases to the United Nations Human Rights Committee and engaging with UN Special Rapporteurs.

Through HRAP, Amisha seeks to expand her knowledge and skill set in advocating for policy reforms concerning the obligation of States with international human rights law. She is passionate about gaining an understanding of innovative approaches to promote transformative human rights education for conflict transformation in the communities. Lately, she has started to advocate for effective remedies for civilians who became disabled due to war remnants and who are not yet recognized as victims by the Nepal government.

Amisha earned a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Law (BA LLB) from Kathmandu School of Law at Purbanchal University (Nepal). To broaden her education on conflict transformation, peacebuilding, and transitional justice, she has also taken part in a number of trainings provided by the Women for Human Rights and the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, KURVE Wustrow, the Academy for Conflict Transformation/Forum Civil Peace Service, the International Commission of Jurists, AF, Justice and Rights Institute, Open Society Justice Initiative, and Alliance for Social Dialogue.

Samira Asghari, 2023

Afghanistan

Samira Asghari

Afghanistan, 2023

Founding Member, Afghanistan Peace and Sport Council

Samira is dedicated to the promotion of women’s participation in sports. She has been a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) since 2018 at which time she became the first representative from Afghanistan and one of its youngest members. Samira played for the Afghanistan women's national basketball team and was its captain. She was on the executive board of the National Basketball Federation, worked for the Directorate of Physical Education and Sport, and served as finance director and Deputy Secretary General of the National Olympic Committee of Afghanistan. She is on the Advisory Committee of the Olympic Council of Asia.

A founding member of the Afghanistan Peace and Sports Council, Samira is involved with a number of other NGOs including Operation Outreach Afghanistan and the Afghan Red Crescent. With Equality League since 2021, she has been supporting the evacuation of female athletes and other members of the sports community from Afghanistan. Samira earned a BA in international relations from Kateb University. She graduated from the International Academy of Sport Science and Technology with a master's degree in 2021.

Elias Jika, 2023

Malawi

Elias Jika

Malawi, 2023

Program Coordinator, International Accountability Project

As a Program Coordinator with the International Accountability Project (IAP), Elias, who is based in Malawi, supports communities impacted by development projects and the local groups assisting them with trainings and workshops, research, information-sharing, guidance, and advocacy tools. Following local priorities, he supports the communities in the creation and implementation of advocacy campaigns.

Elias’s advocacy journey started in 2016 when he was working with Citizens for Justice (CFJ) in partnership with the IAP to support communities in responding to human rights violations around the development of a dam in Malawi. His work involved sharing project information with affected communities, training them on different aspects of human rights as they related to the project, and advocacy with the Government of Malawi to address the community’s concerns and grievances.

Over the next five years, he looks forward to continuing to grow through more training opportunities and other capacity-building programs and expanding support for the communities that he serves. He also aspires to attend a Master’s program in Community Development.

Imani Kanario Kimiri, 2023

Kenya

Imani Kanario Kimiri

Kenya, 2023

Head of Legal Affairs, National Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission

Imani, an unwavering Queer human rights defender, passionately champions equality for sexual and gender minorities. Throughout their career, Imani has channeled their skills and passion into changing laws and policies through education, information sharing, and shadow reporting. Currently serving as the Head of Legal Affairs at the National Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (NGLHRC) in Kenya, Imani actively advocates for the promotion and protection of equality and inclusion in policies and laws of LGBTIQ+ individuals and communities, as well as access to justice for LGBTIQ+ persons in Kenya.

NGLHRC's main objectives include achieving policy and legal reforms for equality and full inclusion through strategic litigation, legal clinics, research and documentation, urgent action missions, and the promotion of freedom of expression and association. The organization also focuses on building the LGBTIQ+ movement in Kenya through various activities and events. Moreover, NGLHRC encourages political and civic participation of LGBTIQ+ individuals and communities in Kenya through dialogue, lobbying, civic education, and technical support to LGBTIQ+ political aspirants.

Imani immersed themselves in Redress Trust courses on Holistic Strategic Litigation against LGBTIQ+ Torture and actively participated in the Capacity Building Workshop on Strategic Litigation and Advocacy by the Centre for Human Rights at the University of Pretoria. These transformative educational experiences have been a crucible for personal and professional growth, equipping Imani with an expanded toolkit for activism. The courses, emphasizing Holistic Strategic Litigation and broader advocacy, provide nuanced perspectives and refined strategies, enhancing Imani's ability to navigate human rights complexities and advocate effectively.

Imani's commitment to sexual and gender minority rights is now fortified with a deeper understanding of strategic litigation intricacies, thanks to the Capacity Building Workshop. This contributes to their skill set, enabling Imani to navigate legal complexities, challenge systemic injustices, and champion marginalized communities with heightened efficacy.

Imani further extends their commitment by serving as a board member of QueerHive Kenya, a youth-focused social support and advocacy organization for Lesbians, Bisexuals, Queer womxn, and Gender Non-Conforming people in Kenya. In these roles, Imani creates spaces that challenge patriarchal systems and programming embedded in society, contributing significantly to the advancement of queer rights and representation.

Esther Kimani, 2023

Kenya

Esther Kimani

Kenya, 2023

Founder and Executive Director, Zamara Foundation

Esther Wambui Kimani is a Pan African Feminist thought leader and the founder of Zamara Foundation. Her work is rooted in the principles of justice, equity and intersectionality. Esther leads the Zamara Foundation (ZamaraFdn), a feminist organisation working towards strengthening the voices of women and girls in marginalised communities to challenge and transform the status quo. ZamaraFdn’s strategy focuses on movement building and community activism, advocacy, and intersectional feminist leadership development for adolescent girls and young women in all their diversities. In advancing reproductive justice in Kenya, ZamaraFdn trains young women on intersectional feminist leadership so they do not have to pick and choose which rights to advocate for. The organization creates safe spaces for adolescent girls, young women, young mothers, and young women sex workers. ZamaraFdn has supported young women in influencing the East Africa Community Sexual and Reproductive Health Bill 2021 at the East Africa Legislative Assembly.

Esther has been at the forefront of the feminist movement dedicated to challenging oppressive structures, dismantling patriarchal barriers, fostering siblinghood, and catalyzing transformative change. Esther has been keen on amplifying the voices of women across the continent by centering the unique experiences and challenges faced by women in Kenya. She has led interventions that address the intricate tapestry of intersectionality, recognizing the diverse identities and struggles within Kenya and Africa. She has extensive experience in feminist leadership development, sexual and reproductive health rights and justice, movement building for social change, and advancing women's and girls' rights and advocacy. She has over 13 years of experience with program development and design, management, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and learning. Esther has written opinion pieces in Kenyan newspapers and contributed to knowledge products such as the Beijing Dispatch Journal by Akina Mama wa Afrika, the pan-African feminist leadership development organization. She is also a founding member of the African Young Women and Advocacy Alliance, a network of young women leaders keen on influencing policy processes at regional and national levels. Esther holds a BA in Psychology from Egerton University in Kenya.

David Mejía Cruz, 2023

Mexico

David Mejía Cruz

Mexico, 2023

Legal Coordinator, Documenta

David is a Human Rights and criminal justice attorney, currently serving as Legal Coordinator at Documenta, a human rights organization based in Mexico City that advocates for criminal justice reform and access to justice for historically marginalized communities. As a Human Rights advocate, David operates at the intersection between strategic litigation, advocacy, and community empowerment. His role bridges Documenta’s three thematic programs -Social Reinsertion and Prison Reform, Disability Rights, and Torture Prevention- into a legal services program that actively engages with communities, providing free legal advice as well as legal education workshops to ensure effective participation in the legal battles they face. This approach fosters a collaborative environment where Documenta works closely with individuals, their families, and their communities, providing capacity building and empowering them with the knowledge and tools necessary to navigate the complexities of the legal system.

David's responsibilities encompass addressing individual and collective cases of human rights abuse, aimed at achieving progressive legal resolutions and setting precedents that advocate for a more just criminal legal system and an end to punitive policies. This has included representing victims of torture in drug treatment centers, defending wrongly accused people with intellectual and psychosocial disabilities who face discriminatory legal measures and advocating for prisoners seeking prerelease benefits. Driven by a cause-centered ethos, David's work has also enabled Documenta to file cases before Mexico’s Supreme Court that challenge practices related to involuntary confinement and criminal security measures for people with disabilities, highlighting Documenta's commitment to effecting positive change at the highest levels of the legal system.

Amir Mukambetov, 2023

Kyrgyzstan

Amir Mukambetov

Kyrgyzstan, 2023

Advocacy Coordinator, Eurasian Coalition for Health, Rights, Gender and Sexual Diversity (ECOM)

Amir identifies himself as a modern queer nomad, Central Asian LGBT+ activist, Human Rights Defender, and Queer Muslim hailing from Kyrgyzstan. His expertise spans gender, sexuality, human rights, religion, and HIV prevention in the Eastern Europe and Central Asian regions. Throughout his activism, he has played a pivotal role in elevating the visibility of the queer community, fostering the growth of the LGBT+ movement, and strengthening the capacity of the respective community within the country.

As the Advocacy Coordinator at the Eurasian Coalition for Health, Rights, Gender, and Sexual Diversity (ECOM), Amir undertakes the responsibility of providing coaching and capacity-building support to transgender organizations and activists in high-risk countries such as Armenia, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine, and Russia. This involves overseeing small grants, reviewing project reports, and collaborating with colleagues to develop advocacy and strategic plans. The attainment of their goals is realized through national advocacy and leadership schools, informational/media campaigns, and the sensitization of health experts and decision-makers.

With a decade of service at Kyrgyz Indigo, Amir's contributions extend from community capacity building to advocacy and health promotion, not only in Kyrgyzstan but throughout Central Asia. Over this period, he has provided consistent mentorship, nurturing the development of multiple generations of queer activists, many of whom have transitioned into frontline advocates for the rights of queer individuals. Serving as the Chair of the Board of Kyrgyz Indigo and one of the co-founders of the LGBT Platform in Kyrgyzstan and Central Asia, Amir oversees the organization's overall strategic direction. This includes championing queer-friendly laws and opposing bills that discriminate against the LGBT+ community. Notably, the Kyrgyz Parliament has introduced a draft law on "foreign agents," proposing a ten-year jail term for those identified as such. Amir is actively engaged in facilitating the development of a strategy to withdraw this bill.

Amir is a proud graduate of SOAS University of London, holding an MA Degree in Gender Studies. Prior to this, he obtained an undergraduate degree from Kyrgyz Kuwait University, earning a BA Degree in Journalism.

Jamuna Tamang, 2023

Nepal

Jamuna Tamang

Nepal, 2023

Activist and Treasurer, National Indigenous Disabled Women Association

As an Indigenous woman with a physical disability, Jamuna has committed herself to protecting and promoting the rights of Indigenous women with disabilities. At the National Indigenous Disabled Women Association (NIDWAN) in Nepal, she advocates for Indigenous women with disabilities and contributes to their growth as advocates. Over the past seven years, she has also been identifying spaces from the local to the global where they can advocate. As NIDWAN’s treasurer, she is responsible for finances, fundraising, and grants administration. A wheelchair basketball player and wheelchair dancer, she also sensitizes disability issues through sports and culture.

Jamuna has attended numerous trainings and workshops led by organizations including the International Labour Organization, the International Disability Alliance, the Digo Bikash Institute, the Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact Foundation, UNDP, and the National Indigenous Women’s Federation. She has facilitated talks including Impacts of Climate Change on Indigenous Women with Disabilities (Karnali Indigenous Women with Disabilities), Situation of Indigenous Women with Disabilities and Their Experiences with Employment (Land is Life and NIDWAN), Inclusive Education: Ensuring Access and Quality Education to Marginalized Children in Nepal (Bank Information Center and NIDWAN), and the side event Intersectionality: A Look at Indigenous Women with Disabilities at the Second World Conference of Indigenous Women with Disabilities. She participated in the 71st Session of CEDAW and at a partner consultation meeting of the Women's Fund Asia.

At Tribhuvan University, she earned a bachelor’s degree in Rural Development from the Ratna Rajya Laxmi Campus and is currently pursuing her master's degree at the Padma Kanya Campus.

Andrea Tock, 2023

Guatemala

Andrea Tock

Guatemala, 2023

Director of Impact and Learning, Women’s Justice Initiative

Andrea describes herself as “a grassroots justice defender and an intersectional feminist activist working on the legal empowerment of Indigenous women and girls in Guatemala.” She is “building community power through participatory research and learning activities that center Indigenous women and girls while validating them as subjects of rights who freely exercise their agency.” As Director of Impact and Learning at the Women’s Justice Initiative (WJI), Andrea's work speaks to power and traditional patriarchal structures embedded in Guatemalan society. WJI addresses the challenges Indigenous women face by providing free, culturally-grounded, bilingual legal support, rights education, and leadership training in more than 75 rural communities in Guatemala. WJI operates four programs: Women’s Rights Education, Legal Services, Community Advocates, and Adolescent Girls. WJI also increases participants’ access to justice by providing mobile legal outreach in Kaqchikel, the native Mayan language, to rural communities, sometimes incorporating video-conferencing technology to improve accessibility for hard-to-reach communities and women with disabilities. WJI has found that its combined training and service delivery model is successful in empowering women to identify their legal needs and initiate legal processes both in cases of Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) and in securing economic rights through land titling, child support, alimony, and inheritance cases.

Andrea is active in several feminist initiatives in Guatemala including the Feminist Assembly, a space for reflection and political co-creation among different feminist activists around the country. She is part of the editorial board of La Cuerda, a feminist magazine. In the near future, she would like to create better ways to share the knowledge she has acquired through her work and life experience with other grassroots feminists and human rights defenders to build collective action that will allow everyone—especially women and girls—to live lives free from violence. She earned a BA in Political Science from Rafael Landivar University, an M.Sc in Social Studies of Gender from Lund University, and spent a semester at American University.

Anonymous Advocate, 2022

Anonymous Advocate

, 2022

Motivated by the trauma she has experienced as a trans woman, this advocate became an activist so that she can fight for the rights of the trans community and improve lives. Her organization promotes a safe environment in which LGBTQ people, especially trans women, can safely and freely live their lives without fear of discrimination, stigma, or violence. The organization empowers trans women to rebuild their lives with dignity and purpose through direct services and support.

This advocate organizes spaces that foster a sense of family for trans women grappling with the effects of trauma. She designs projects with stakeholders, civil society organizations, and human rights organizations to raise awareness for LGBTQ rights and promotes justice for victims of violence. Her team works in conjunction with other organizations to place pressure on political leaders to recognize and promote LGBTQ rights.

Anonymous Advocate, they/them, 2022

Ethiopia

Anonymous Advocate, they/them

Ethiopia, 2022

Programs Advisor,

The advocate from Ethiopia (they/them) is an artist and activist who works on reshaping the public narrative of marginalised persons in contemporary Ethiopian culture. Through storytelling, multimedia, art, and advocacy, they challenge the powers and systems of oppression. Their work stands at the intersection of archival and future work, aiming to create a platform for marginalised identities to articulate their truth and give rise to new imaginaries free of censorship, judgement, and restraint.

Sharma Aurelien , 2022

Haiti

Sharma Aurelien

Haiti, 2022

Executive Director, Solidarite Fanm Ayisyèn-SOFA

Sharma Aurelien (she/her) is a lifelong women’s rights activist specializing in the exploitation and exclusion of women and girls in her home country of Haiti. For the past seven years, she has worked for Solidarite Fanm Ayisyèn-SOFA, a Haitian non-profit organization helping women escape experiences of subordination, domination, discrimination, exclusion, and exploitation.

Since 2020, Sharma has been serving as SOFA’s Executive Director. She has contributed to the expansion of SOFA’s intervention programs, increased access to legal and medical services for victims of gender-based violence, spoken out against corruption within the Haitian government and judicial system, and raised awareness of the challenges facing Haitian women and girls.

Sharma is committed to helping women and girls escape violence and poverty through concrete action and services such as the support provided by reception centers (Dovanjou Centers) and access to income-generating activities offered by SOFA to abused girls and women. She has also been working on advocacy for Savane Diane land grab issue with Global Justice Clinic of New York University on behalf of SOFA to help members reclaim their land.

Through her work at SOFA, Sharma is also affiliated with the International Planned Parenthood Federation, Red de Salud de las Mujeres Latino, World March of Women 2000, and the International Federation for Human Rights.

Sharma has also worked in psychosocial services in order to help people overcome their trauma, including HIV counseling for HIV-affected patients on behalf of Centres pour le Développement et la Santé before her experiences with SOFA. She holds a BA in Sociology from Université d'État d'Haiti and a Master’s of Sociology from École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales in Paris, France.

Ana María Belique , 2022

Dominican Republic

Ana María Belique

Dominican Republic, 2022

Founder and Leader, Reconoci.do

Ana María Belique (she/her) is a founding member and a leader of Reconoci.do, a movement that mobilizes and empowers Dominicans of Haitian descent, campaigns for equality and their citizenship rights, and supports those who need legal support to access their documents.

In 2013, the highest court in the Dominican Republic ruled that Dominicans born to foreign parents between 1929 and 2007 were to be retroactively stripped of their Dominican nationality. The majority of those affected by the judgment are Dominicans of Haitian descent who have long been affected by the Dominican Republic's denationalization policies. In response to the Dominican Republic’s refusal to issue her birth certificate—which she had sought in order to enroll at the university—in combination with the “collective reality of thousands of others, ” Ana María founded Reconoci.do. With partners, Reconoci.do has litigated and advocated before dozens of domestic and international bodies.

Eventually, Ana María was able to obtain her birth certificate and earn a bachelor’s degree in sociology. Her undergraduate thesis provided a historical analysis of the methods of resistance by Haitian sugarcane workers in the Dominican Republic. She has coordinated the publication of two books, Nos Cambió La Vida (Our Lives Changed) and Somos Quien Somos (We Are Who We Are), which document the stories of members of the Reconoci.do movement who have been denied Dominican citizenship.

Ana María also leads the Black Dolls initiative which seeks to empower black women from the bateyes, poor villages on sugar plantations with limited or no access to electricity and government services like schools and health centers, to highlight the values of Afro identity and to create economic opportunities.

Dayana Blanco Quiroga, 2022

Bolivia

Dayana Blanco Quiroga

Bolivia, 2022

Coordinator , Warmi Shining and Uru Uru

Dayana Blanco Quiroga (she/her) is an Indigenous Aymara advocate of women’s rights, Indigenous rights, and environmental justice. She is the founder and main coordinator of the Warmi Shining and Uru Uru projects. The Warmi Shining and Uru Uru projects are part of the NGO Fundación Pueblos de Montaña’s effort to build the capacity of Indigenous girls impacted by climate change and gender-based violence. Girls are empowered through English classes, leadership workshops, and activities that make them more knowledgeable of social justice issues and the ways to tackle them. Warmi Shining teaches Indigenous girls leadership skills that help them overcome obstacles in their personal, academic, and professional lives. Uru Uru creates awareness of environmental justice issues and empowers Indigenous girls to advocate for their rights. Uru Uru generates spaces that encourage debates aimed at finding solutions to climate change issues affecting Indigenous communities. By seeking environmental justice and an end to violence against Indigenous women, Dayana hopes to bring peace and security to Indigenous communities in Bolivia.

Dayana has a bachelor’s degree in International Trade from the Technical University of Oruro. She has participated in a multitude of different programs around the world at the Pace Center for Civic Engagement, the U.S Institute of Peace, Harvard Crossroads Emerging Leaders Program, and Young Peace Builders of The United Nations Alliance of Civilization, just to name a few.

Isabel Flota, 2022

Mexico

Isabel Flota

Mexico, 2022

Institutional Communication Officer , International Indigenous Women’s Forum

Isabel Flota (she/her) is the Institutional Communication Officer for the International Indigenous Women’s Forum/Foro Internacional de Mujeres Indigenas (IIWF/FIMI). As a Maya woman who has experienced discrimination firsthand, she joined FIMI to advocate for Indigenous communities facing the same racism, discrimination, and alienation from their culture that she experienced. FIMI is a global network that mobilizes Indigenous women from all parts of the world to find consensus on agendas, coordinate objectives, and develops leadership. The organization bridges together women-led initiatives at the national, regional, and local levels They empower Indigenous women to lead international decision-making processes. By doing so, FIMI hopes to have the perspectives of Indigenous women consistently and seriously included in human rights discussions on an international level.

Isabel has a bachelor’s degree in Communication Sciences from the Universidad de las Américas Puebla and a master’s degree in Political Journalism. She uses this knowledge in her role as the Institutional Communication Officer for FIMI. Her role allows her to spread Indigenous knowledge, promote education, and provide training on Indigenous communication media. Isabel has been part of the Alianza de Mujeres Indígenas de Centroamérica y México and founded the news agency Notimia for Indigenous and Afro-Descendant women. She continues on her advocacy path dedicated to intercultural communication and amplifying the voices of Indigenous women.

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Our Advocates

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