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Gender Associations was co-founded by Nicola Popovic and Leigh Tomppert who work closely with the Lead Associates.

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OUR TEAM

Gender Associations was co-founded by
Nicola Popovic and Leigh Tomppert
who work closely with the Lead Associates.

NICOLA POPOVIC

DIRECTOR & CO-FOUNDER
Expertise: International law, peacekeeping, security sector reform, 1325 National Action Plans.

Skills: Gender analysis, monitoring and evaluation, programme development, training.

Regional focus: Global.

Academic background: LLM in International Peace Support Operations.

Previous institutional affiliations:
UN entities, governments, NGOs.
> Biography

LEIGH TOMPPERT

DEPUTY DIRECTOR & CO-FOUNDER
Expertise: Human rights of vulnerable populations in conflict and post-conflict; women’s economic empowerment; gender and human rights frameworks.

Skills: Gender and policy analysis, research, programme development and management.

Regional focus: Global.

Academic background: MA Social Sciences; Msc Comparative and Cross-Cultural Research.

Previous institutional affiliations:
UN entities, NGOs.
> Biography

SELMIN ÇALIŞKAN

SENIOR STRATEGIC ADVISOR
Expertise: human rights, democracy, gender equality, rule of law, development aid, transitional justice and conflict resolution in armed conflicts, sexual gender based violence, anti-discrimination.

Skills: Executive management, representation, policy advocacy and training, business coach, strategy development, organisational development, marketing and fundraising.

Regional focus: Germany, Europe and Global.

Academic background: Master in Translation and Multilingual Communication.

Previous institutional affiliations: Philanthrophy, NGO, churches and government.

EVELYNE BATAMULIZA

LEAD ASSOCIATE
Expertise: Human Security & peacebuilding peacekeeping, gender equality & climate change.

Skills: Policy analysis/development, Gender Equality, Strategic Framework Development, Peace Negotiation/Mediation, Training.

Regional focus: Global.

Academic background: LLM in Human Security & Peacebuilding.

Previous institutional affiliations: UN entities, AfDB, AU & NGOs.
> Biography

DANI DE TORRES

LEAD ASSOCIATE
Expertise: Security sector reform and governance, WPS, small arms and light weapons.

Skills: Project design, policy development, training, advocacy.

Regional focus: Global.

Academic background: MA in International Development.

Previous institutional affiliations: Governments, NGOs.
> Biography

MIRSAD "MIKI" JACEVIC

LEAD ASSOCIATE
Expertise: 1325 National Action Plans.

Skills: Policy Development, Training, Advocacy.

Regional focus: Global.

Academic background: MA Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution.

Previous institutional affiliations:
UN entities, governments, NGOs.
> Biography

ERIKA KVAPILOVA

LEAD ASSOCIATE
Expertise: women's participation and leadership, women's economic empowernment, gender and social policy.

Skills: Gender analysis, programme development, capacity development, UN 1325 National Action Plans.

Regional focus: EU, South-Eastern Europe, Caucasus

Academic background: PhD in Social Philosophy.

Previous institutional affiliations: UN entities, governments, Academia.
> Biography

HENRI MYRTTINEN

LEAD ASSOCIATE
Expertise: Masculinities, peacebuilding, small arms and light weapons, security sector reform.

Skills: Academic and action-oriented research, advocacy, training and capacity-building.

Regional focus: Global.

Academic background: PhD Conflict Resolution and Peace Studies.

Previous institutional affiliations: NGOs, UN entities and academia.
> Biography

DUDZIRO NHENGU

LEAD ASSOCIATE
Expertise: De-colonialization, women’s political participation and resilience in fragile contexts, economic empowerment.

Skills: Academic research, community relations, programme management.

Regional focus: Sub-Saharan Africa.

Academic background: PhD Peace and Security.

Previous institutional affiliations: NGOs, UN entities and academia.
> Biography

JEN WITTWER

LEAD ASSOCIATE
Expertise: Gender mainstreaming, Women, Peace and Security, security sector reform, women’s leadership and participation, peace operations.

Skills: Policy, research, training, report writing, advising.

Regional focus: Global.

Academic background: MA International Development, GradDip Strategic Leadership, GradCert Gender, Peace and Security.

Previous institutional affiliations: UN, NATO, academia, NGOs
> Biography

ANASTAESIA MONDESIR

POLICY SPECIALIST
Expertise: Human rights protection of women from vulnerable groups incl. ethnic and racial minorities, Indigenous communities, and women with disabilities.

Skills: Project management, intersectional gender analysis, and human rights advocacy.

Regional focus: Global.

Academic background: MA in International Relations, conflict peace, and security.

Previous institutional affiliations:
OHCHR, Council of Europe and NGOs.

BRID JOHNEN

PROJECT ASSISTANT
Expertise: International relations, feminist foreign and defense policies, humanitarian law.

Skills: Project support, communication, research, campaigning.

Regional focus: Global.

Academic background: BA in International Relations.

Previous institutional affiliations: German Parliament.

CARLA DA SILVA FERREIRA

FINANCE & OPERATIONS
Expertise: Financial Operations Planning and Management.

Skills: Cross-functional collaboration, forecasting, project management.

Regional focus: Global.

Academic background: MSc in Business Administration, MSc Chemical Engineering.

Previous institutional affiliations: Large enterprise, Association.

HANNAH ROSSIÉ

OFFICE SUPPORT BERLIN
Expertise: Human Resources and Officemanagement.

Skills: Organisation, communication, diplomatic, labor and social law, project management, accounting.

Regional focus: Global.

Academic background: Human Resources Officer, Diploma in Apparel Technology.

Previous institutional affiliations: Large and small companies from 5-2000 employees.

NADIIA SYNYTSIA

MANAGEMENT SUPPORT
Expertise: Management and Operations.

Skills: project management, communications, strategic planning, digitalisation .

Regional focus: Eastern Europe.

Academic background: MA Eastern European Studies.

Previous institutional affiliations:
NGOs, Associations.

PAULINA MEDEK

INTERN
Expertise: Human and victims rights protection, prevention of gender-based violence, psychosocial support in crisis and post-conflict.

Skills: Intersectional gender analysis, mixed methods research, human rights advocacy.

Regional focus: Global.

Academic background: BSc Political Science (International Relations and Organisations), Minor in Cybersecurity and Governance.

Previous institutional affiliations: ICC, NGOs and academia.

RENATA GIANNINI

LEAD ASSOCIATE
Expertise: 1325 National Action Plans, the intersection between gender, conflict and the environment, WPS in undeclared armed conflict contexts; conflict related sexual violence; peace operations; security sector reform.

Skills: Gender analysis, monitoring and evaluation, programme development, training.

Regional focus: Latin America.

Academic background: PhD in International Studies

Previous institutional affiliations: Think tanks, UN entities, universities.
> Biography

SANNE TIELEMANS

LEAD ASSOCIATE
Expertise: UNSCR 1325 and the Women, Peace & Security Agenda, gender-responsive leadership, peacebuilding, monitoring, security sector reform.

Skills: Training, advising, gender-sensitive conflict analysis.

Regional focus: Global, Europe.

Academic background: MA in International Conflict Studies, King’s College London; BA (Hon) Liberal Arts & Sciences, University College Utrecht.

Previous institutional affiliations: EU, OSCE, NGOs.
> Biography

NATASHA MULJI

FINANCE & OPERATIONS
Expertise: Operations and finance.

Skills: Accounting, project finance management, operations and logistics, relationship management, budget writing.

Regional focus: Global.

Academic background: BSc in Economics, MSc in Economics.

Previous institutional affiliations:
Mulji. N Consulting, UN entities, NGOs, Governments.

DIANA LÓPEZ CASTAÑEDA

LEAD ASSOCIATE
Expertise: Gender, climate security, migration.

Skills: Academic and action-oriented research, gender and policy analysis.

Regional focus: Latin America and the Caribbean.

Academic background: MA Migration and Ethnic Studies.

Previous institutional affiliations:
UN entities, governments, NGOs.
> Biography

KATYA VERA MORALES

PROJECT ASSOCIATE
Expertise: Prevention of gender-based violence, international human rights law, gender dimensions of cybersecurity, women’s digital rights.

Skills: academic research, gender analysis, policy implementation, strategic human rights litigation, social media advocacy.

Regional focus: Global.

Academic background: MA in Women’s and Gender Studies; LLM in Human Rights Law.

Previous institutional affiliations: OAS, UN entities, NGOs, governments.

DENISE HIRAO

LEAD ASSOCIATE
Expertise: International Human Rights Law, sexual and reproductive rights and health.

Skills: Programme development, organizational development, management, grant making, advocacy.

Regional focus: Latin America.

Academic background: LLM in International Human Rights Law, Law Degree.

Previous institutional affiliations: UN entities, NGOs, private foundations, Governments, law firms.
> Biography
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NICOLA POPOVIC

Co-Founder and Director of Gender Associations

Nicola has mainly focused on issues such as the implementation of UNSCR 1325, international law at the domestic and regional level, on gender-sensitive security sector reform and on the prevention and response to sexual and gender-based violence in peacekeeping missions. She holds a Masters (LLM) in International Peace Support Operations, as well as a degree in Political, Social and Communication Science. Nicola has lived and worked in Latin America and the Caribbean, Europe and South and West Africa. She has developed, implemented and evaluated training programmes, action-oriented research, projects, as well as policy development processes for the United Nations, different governments and NGOs.

NICOLA POPOVIC

Co-Founder and Director of Gender Associations

Nicola has mainly focused on issues such as the implementation of UNSCR 1325, international law at the domestic and regional level, on gender-sensitive security sector reform and on the prevention and response to sexual and gender-based violence in peacekeeping missions. She holds a Masters (LLM) in International Peace Support Operations, as well as a degree in Political, Social and Communication Science. Nicola has lived and worked in Latin America and the Caribbean, Europe and South and West Africa. She has developed, implemented and evaluated training programmes, action-oriented research, projects, as well as policy development processes for the United Nations, different governments and NGOs.

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