Our Advocates

Wanja Ngure (she/her) is a Kenyan feminist and human rights activist based in Nairobi, Kenya. She is currently serving as a Grant Manager at UHAI EASHRI, a feminist fund supporting sex workers, LGBTIQ+ communities, and people at the intersections of drug use across seven Eastern Africa countries. She has a degree in social work and a Masters of Arts in Human Rights from the University of Nairobi.  She has over 18 years of experience working with marginalized, sexual and gender minorities and other key and vulnerable populations in Eastern Africa and in Malawi.

With almost two decades of experience in feminism and human rights programming, feminism, policy advocacy, public health, research, grant management, participatory monitoring and evaluation, as well as policy advocacy. Wanja has consistently led innovative initiatives and influenced policies in the realm of human rights, feminism and sexual and reproductive health rights and HIV response in Africa.

Her advocacy encompasses championing laws and policies that ensure access to basic and fundamental rights including health care without discrimination, and placing communities at the forefront of development.

Wanja is a participant in the 2024-25 Human Rights Advocates Program at the Institute for the Study of Human Rights at Columbia University.

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 (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. 

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.

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.