Organisations working for social justice, equality and human rights should live up to their own demands. A lack of women leaders contradicts most organisations’ own policies and statements on gender equality and women’s rights.
We share the responsibility to implement and further develop FAIR SHARE’s vision and mission. We support and challenge each other to leverage our collective impact. This way we aim to overcome the loneliness of leadership many of us have experienced in the past.
We aim to create diverse and inclusive governance bodies at all levels. As a young organisation, we will keep this at our forefront as we grow and move forward with our mission.
We share power and practice horizontal decision-making guided by our vision and mission. We do not shy away from disagreement and conflict and will develop and formalise resolution mechanisms as needed.
We want to see systemic change in the world and contribute to new solutions where current decision-making structures have failed to provide answers. We therefore see feminist leadership and new approaches to governance as key steps towards a more just, equal and sustainable world.
Aïssata is the co-founder and President of the Youth Chamber of Commerce of Mauritania, an organization created in 2013 with the mission to bridge the gap for young Mauritanian Professionals and Entrepreneurs. A Mauritanian National, Aïssata has a background in agricultural finance and Microfinance, working for the Food and Agriculture Organization, as well as African Risk Capacity, an institution of the African Union. Besides her work in development, she is passionate about youth and women empowerment matters on the continent; she participated in several task groups on peace, stability and women empowerment in the Sahel Region with UN Women, the European Union and the US Government.
She was recently appointed by President Emmanuel Macron on the Gender Equality Advisory Council for the G7 to advise on matters related to girl’s education, gender-based violence and women's economic empowerment, specifically in Africa.
Anusha believes in the power of girls to transform communities and nations. It is with this conviction that she leads a group of passionate individuals at VOICE 4 Girls, a social enterprise that educates and empowers marginalized adolescent girls with the vision to eliminate gender inequality and violence. She is also the Founder Director of SoCh for Social Change, a platform that offers young women a chance to become ‘future-ready’ and to develop their leadership capacities and enable them to become agents of change.
Anusha is an alumnus of the Asia Pacific Leadership Program (2013-14), East West Center, USA; 1stCohort of Harvard-Dasra Social Impact Leadership Program (2014-15); and a Cordes Fellow (2017). She is also a Board Member of Bodhi Education Society, an NGO that runs an affordable English medium private school in rural Telangana, the NSS Advisory Committee at the Hyderabad Central University, an Executive Member of Andhra Pradesh Mahila Samata Society (APMSS) and an Executive Committee Member of RVBRR College for Women.
Emily Bove is a seasoned executive leader within the global women’s rights movement and development community. She has been recognized for her visionary leadership and constant support of grassroots-led and feminist programming, as well as her strong experience in movement-building, collaborative leadership and philanthropy. She currently serves as the Executive Director of the Batonga Foundation. Emily is the 2018 recipient of the One World Award for Feminist Leadership in International Philanthropy, as well as the founder and curator of the Feminist Leadership Project. She is also a proud Board member of Women’s March Global, and also serves on World Pulse’s Global Advisory Network.
Helene is co-founder and executive director of FAIR SHARE of Women Leaders. Before that she served as the Deputy Executive Director at the International Civil Society Centre where she led and managed the development from a start-up phase to a mid-sized organisation. In this capacity she also worked closely with the top leadership of the largest internationally operating civil society organisations on issues such as governance, accountability and cooperation. She lives in Berlin, Germany and has two sons.
Serap, a passionate intersectional-feminist activist, is the Head of Office and EU Representative of Plan International. Previously, she held the position of Programme Director at the European Women’s Lobby (EWL) leading their Fundraising & Programme Strategy. Serap has also led the Campaign Unit at the European Network against Racism (ENAR) where she played a critical role in establishing the first European Foundation against Racism. She also spent several years as the Head of Domestic and Sexualised Violence Department and Head of Activists and City Groups for the largest women‘s rights organisation TERRE DES FEMMES in Germany, later leading on establishing and coordinating their representation in Berlin.
She has co-founded the EU Civil Society network (CSOs FPN) and is currently is a Board member of CIVICUS Alliance. A published author and scholar, Serap has written a book on the effects of domestic violence and also led the first study in Germany into implementation of favourable workplace policies for those experiencing domestic violence.
Zakiya Carr-Johnson is a social inclusion, diversity and equity expert and strategist with extensive experience in international development and over 20 years shaping public policy. Prior to founding ODARA Solutions, LLC and launching the Black Women Disrupt Initiative, she served as Senior Advisor and Director of the first Race, Ethnicity and Social Inclusion Unit at the U.S. Department of State, and co-chair of the White House Inter-Agency Committee on Gender-Based Violence Monitoring and Evaluation during the Obama Administration. Prior to that, she was Foundation Representative for Venezuela and Ecuador at the Inter-American Foundation and Senior Technical Advisor for the Social Inclusion Trust Fund at the Inter-American Development Bank.
Carr-Johnson has been at the forefront of promoting equality by supporting Black women and historically marginalized groups in community-based development, leadership and entrepreneurship and building bridges of transnational solidarity. Zakiya is also an accomplished public speaker, who loves to cook and is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese.
Helene Wolf is the Chair and Co-Founder of FAIR SHARE of Women Leaders. Before starting FAIR SHARE, she served as Deputy Executive Director of the International Civil Society Centre for eight years. She has two sons and lives in Berlin.
Åsa is the Vice-Chair of FAIR SHARE of Women Leaders. Since 2013, she is engaged at the International Civil Society Centre in Berlin and currently leads as their Programme Director. Originally from Sweden, Åsa earlier worked for a consultancy, evaluating social projects within the public and civil society sector. Åsa studied European Studies and Sociology at universities in Gothenburg and Berlin.
Robin is the Treasurer at FAIR SHARE of Women Leaders. She is currently the Cause Lead and Director of Governance at The B Team, a non-profit organisation bringing together leaders from business and civil society to create new forms of corporate leadership based on sustainability, equality and accountability. Before joining The B Team, she served in various leadership positions at the Transparency International Secretariat, including as Managing Director. Robin has also served on the Steering Committee of the Open Government Partnership for the last three years, and she is currently the Civil Society Co-Chair.
Brita Fernandez Schmidt serves as the Executive Director of Women for Women International – UK and is the Senior Vice President for Global Partnerships (Global). She is responsible for the operation and management of Women for Women International in the UK and Europe. Alongside this, Brita also sits on the Board of Directors for Žene za Žene (Women for Women) in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosova Women for Women International in Kosovo and Women for Women International (DE).
Brita Fernandez Schmidt is an advocate and promoter of women’s empowerment, women’s rights and equality. She frequently writes about the challenges women face all over the world in the context of poverty and conflict. Brita is a public speaker on these issues. She has lived and/or worked in over 16 countries spanning three continents.
Ingrid Srinath is the founder Director of the Centre for Social Impact and Philanthropy at Ashoka University, the first academic centre in South Asia to focus on these themes. She has been a passionate advocate for human rights, social justice and civil society for over 20 years leading organisations in India and around the world including CRY (Child Rights and You), CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation, CHILDLINE India and Hivos India.
Malayah is a renowned expert and feminist leader who has delivered outstanding results in gender equality, women's leadership development, HIV and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights. She most recently served as Secretary General of the World YWCA and has been part of the FAIR SHARE development from the very beginning.
Uygar is a civil society and environmental activist, and social entrepreneur. He has been the advisor to the Minister of State for Environment (1989-90); a Fulbright Scholar and a MacArthur Scholar; Assistant Professor and Chair of Environmental Science at Erciyes University (2000-2004); Environmental Specialist at the United Nations Development Program (2004-2006); Executive Director of TEMA Foundation (2006-2008), and Greenpeace Mediterranean (2008-2012).
Uygar was founding chairman of Doğa Derneği (BirdLife Partner) in 2002 and KusBank.org, the first citizen science and crowd-sourcing system in Turkey. He was also a founding and board member of the Civil Society Development Center, and served for two terms on the board of CIVICUS - World Alliance for Citizen Participation. He founded Change.org Turkey Chapter in 2012 and is still the Executive Director. He also founded Prosumer Economy Society, and Good4Trust.org - a prosumer economy system which he leads. Dr. Özesmi teaches sustainable energy at Kadir Has University and social entrepreneurship at Istanbul University, and has a daily radio program at Açık Radyo.
Until March 2018 Penny was Deputy Chief Executive at Oxfam GB where she led organisational change. Penny was Oxfam’s GB’s Programmes Director from 2006 – 2015 - strategic and operational lead of Oxfam’s programmes in over 60 countries. Penny combines operational and strategic leadership experience with an interest in organisational development and a life-long commitment to social justice. She was previously Programmes Director at VSO and has lived and worked in Sudan, Zimbabwe and Ghana.
Now an independent researcher, coach and consultant, Penny’s current interests includes the changing role of charities in our more polarised, digital age and why there are so few women leaders in the top organisational positions.
Burkhard has been the CEO of Save the Children International, Greenpeace Germany and terre des hommes Germany. He has co-founded and led the International Civil Society Centre and, most recently, initiated and co-founded FAIR SHARE. He has been Board Chair or Board Member of civil society organisations in Germany, Italy, Switzerland, India, Korea and Japan. Burkhard published The Hedgehog and the Beetle, a book on disruption and transformation in the civil society sector.
Helene founded FAIR SHARE of Women Leaders e.V. less than a year ago and has been leading the setup of the initiative on a voluntary basis since then. Before that she served as the Deputy Executive Director at the International Civil Society Centre where she led and managed the development from a start-up phase to a mid-sized organisation. In this capacity she also worked closely with the top leadership of the largest internationally operating civil society organisations on issues such as governance, accountability and cooperation. She lives in Berlin, Germany and has two sons.
Carolin is the Project Manager at FAIR SHARE, leading the coordination of the FAIR SHARE campaign in Germany. She has 15 years of experience in working for NGOs and brings in expertise in the management of national and international projects and the consultation of its respective civil society actors.
Before joining FAIR SHARE, Carolin worked as a project manager for the German Digital Opportunities Foundation and the Berlin Institute for Comparative Social Research. Her thematic focus lies on gender, migration and inclusion issues, for which she has continuously researched and published.
She holds a master’s degree in Social and Cultural Anthropology (Freie Universität Berlin, Germany) and a Postgraduate Master of European Studies (Humboldt Universität Berlin.
Lea is a Project Manager at FAIR SHARE and responsible for Communications and the Digitalization of the FAIR SHARE Monitor.
Thanks to her work for the European Youth Parliament and the Schwarzkopf Foundation Young Europe she has more than 8 years of experience in political education, capacity building and youth empowerment. Most recently, she worked as a Consultant for Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility.
Lea holds a Master's degree in International Relations (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin, Universität Potsdam) and a Bachelor's degree in Political Science and French Studies (Martin-Luther-Universität Halle Wittenberg, Université Toulouse Jean Jaurès).
Lisa is a Junior Associate, who assists the Executive Director with the management of the FAIR SHARE Monitor and the development of future international strategies.
Lisa has worked as a project assistant at a Berlin-based NGO that seeks to promote the Global Action Program on Education for Sustainable Development. Here, she incorporated an intersectional, anti-racist and environmental approach in her work. Furthermore, Lisa gained work experience on gender mainstreaming during her time at the GIZ in the International Climate Initiative (IKI).
Lisa completed her Bachelor’s degree in African Studies at the University of Leipzig before moving to the Netherlands for her Masters in International Relations and International Organisations at the University of Groningen. She enjoyed applying post-colonial or post-development theories on the topics of international development and international climate and environmental governance.
Sophia Seawell is a Project Associate at FAIR SHARE. She is responsible for the communications of the international campaign and supporting the Executive Director with fundraising projects.
Sophia comes to FAIR SHARE from international feminist fund Mama Cash, where she developed a social media strategy, managed all social media channels and produced online written as well as audiovisual content.
Outside of her role at Mama Cash, Sophia was involved with developing and facilitating workshops on safety and inclusion in nightlife with Stichting SexMatters. She also moderated events and kept her passion for writing alive as a freelance writer and journalist.
Sophia holds a Bachelor's degree from Brown University in Gender and Sexuality Studies as well as a Research Master's degree from Utrecht University in Gender and Ethnicity Studies.
Diya has over 14 years of experience of working in the non-profit sector in India and currently is residing in Germany. She served in the capacity of Program Director in Greenpeace India and headed Campaigns in Amnesty International India. Facing several challenges while taking up leadership roles at a young age as a woman, she is passionate about the cause and is volunteering her time as a Campaigns and Communications Advisor to FAIR SHARE of Women Leaders.
Claire Healy is a Junior at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where she is pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science with Spanish and Arabic minors, a certificate in International Relations and a certificate in Civic Engagement and Public Service. On campus she is an event coordinator for Sisters on Runway, a student organization that raises general awareness about domestic violence and funds for survivors at a nearby shelter. She is also part of a number of clubs, writes for the Daily Collegian, and volunteers at a nearby high school as an ambassador for Student Bridges.
She works as a Communications Assistant at the UMass Amherst Commonwealth Honors College and has formerly worked as an Executive Office Intern at InterAction. Currently Claire is pursuing an intensive Arabic language program in Amman, Jordan and will be studying in Cuba in spring.
Alyssa is a recent graduate working towards justice, equality, and sustainable development. She most recently worked as Project Assistant at the International Civil Society Centre in Berlin but has since returned home to Alberta, Canada to apply for law school and write the LSAT exam. She currently volunteers for IFSSA (Islamic Family and Social Services Association). Volunteering for FAIR SHARE means an opportunity to advance a feminist agenda, one that echoes equality, inclusion, and empowerment.
Alyssa holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science and French Language from the University of Alberta and spent a semester studying at the National University of Singapore.
Carina herself has an NGO background and has spent the last three years working in non-profit organisations. She focuses on ways of explaining why women are underrepresented in leadership positions, and she is looking at ways to achieve gender equality and empower women. Her focus is on the human resources and personal development instrument mentoring.
At FAIR SHARE, Carina is committed to equal opportunities on the way to a leadership position and supports the work of FAIR SHARE in the area of research.
Carina holds a Master's degree in Nonprofit Management and Public Governance (Berlin School of Economics and Law, Berlin University of Applied Sciences) and a Bachelor's degree in Nonprofit, Social and Health Management (Management Center Innsbruck).
Johanna is committed to the overcoming and prevention of violent conflicts. In doing so, she has a special focus on marginalised groups, including women, and advocates for their rights.
Johanna joined FAIR SHARE in order to make visible the work, which is mostly done by women, in civil society organisations and to achieve fair representation of women and thus gender justice in these organisations. She supports the work of FAIR SHARE in the field of research.
She holds a Master's degree in Peace and Conflict Studies (Philipps University Marburg) and a Bachelor's degree in International Relations and Philosophy (University of Erfurt, Beloit College). She has also completed the certificate course in Gender Studies (Philipps University Marburg).
Hannah is currently working for Democracy Reporting International, where she coordinates projects in Tunisia. She has previously worked at the UNDP Regional Hub in Amman. Hannah focuses on political transformation in the MENA region and has lived and worked in Egypt and Amman for several years.
Hannah joined FAIR SHARE, because she is convinced that feminist leadership plays a key role in managing and overcoming global socio-political challenges. She supports FAIR SHARE in the field of fundraising.
Hannah holds a Master's degree in Comparative Politics of the Middle East (The American University in Cairo, University of Tübingen), and a Bachelor's degree in Arabic Studies and Political Science (University of Göttingen).
Constanze has been working for eight years in non-profit organizations in the cultural sector.
She is involved in FAIR SHARE to increase the number of women in leadership positions and to make the work of women in civil society organizations more visible. She is convinced that everyone would benefit from more diverse and inclusive leadership structures. In addition to gender justice, she is committed to the sustainable use of the earth's natural resources, which is why she wants to contribute to the achievement of UN SDG. Constanze supports FAIR SHARE in the area of research.
She has university degrees in culture & economics, art history and art management.
Amelie is a recent graduate of Gender Studies from the GEMMA Erasmus Mundus Programme. Originally from London, England, Amelie has spent the last ten years studying, working and living across Europe. Based in Berlin, she works as a researcher, writer and editor on the topics of period parity, gender equality and sustainable environmental change.
Amelie has volunteered with non-profits since 2010, from teaching undocumented women how to cycle, to leading English conversation classes for refugee and asylum seekers.
Volunteering for FAIR SHARE gives Amelie an opportunity to work on advancing gender equality in meaningful positions and to support the team with communications.
Amelie holds a bachelor’s degree in English Literature and Theatre from the University of Manchester, and a joint research master’s degree from Utrecht University and Central European University.
Clara has been engaging with feminist issues on a personal, academic and activist level for years. She strongly believes that fair representation is an essential step towards a more equitable and just society. She volunteers for FAIR SHARE because she shares the belief that having women in leadership positions is not just about reaching a certain number, but also about creating and living a feminist and more equal leadership culture. She supports FAIR SHARE in the areas of research and social media.
Clara studied North American Studies at Freie Universität Berlin and the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. With a research focus on feminist theory, she wrote her thesis on the role of unpaid domestic and care work in contemporary society.