Speakers | IPPF Annual Donors

Abhina Aher

Member of Board of Trustees & Chair of Strategy, Investment and Policy Committee, IPPF

Abhina Aher has been Associate Director for Gender, Sexuality and Rights at the India HIV/AIDS Alliance since 2010. She has been a global activist on LGBTI issues for the last 24 years and has worked with organisations such as The Humsafar Trust (Mumbai), Family Health International (FHI), and the Johns Hopkins University Centre for Communication Programme (CCP). Amongst the skills required for the Board of Trustees, Abhina can point to knowledge of safeguarding; programme delivery experience; and peer-to-peer service delivery.

Varun Anand

Director, Finance & Technology Division, IPPF

Varun Anand is a Chartered Accountant with more than 23 years of diverse and multi-disciplinary experience. He brings with him a unique combination of a strong systems approach coupled with an understanding of grass root programmes. Varun’s commitment to a just and equitable society has helped him pursue the cause of building an empowered community, which, he believes, is the only way to inclusive development. Prior to joining IPPF, Varun supported grass root NGOs in the areas of providing health services, hygiene, and empowerment. He also worked with the large consulting firms, advising governments in the areas of programme design, systems strengthening, and evaluation of national schemes. This experience cuts across public financial management, health and family welfare, public security, transport subsidies, judiciary, commercial tax, and ICT for development.

Ulukbek Batyrgaliev

Youth Volunteer, CSE Educator & IPPF Board Member, Reproductive Health Alliance Kyrgyzstan

Uluk Batyrgaliev has 10-years of experience working on peer education, reproductive health and gender, he is a youth activist and Steering Committee Chair (Youth Network of IPPF’s EN). Since 2012 he has volunteered with RHAK, starting at the age of 12. Uluk is co-author of research and curriculums on CSE. Now, he is advocating for meaningful youth engagement in his country on decision making processes on SRHR and FP. Currently, he is on IPPF’s Board of Trustees and Membership Committee. From 2019, he has been the Youth Focal Point of Kyrgyzstan at global partnership Family Planning 2020(2030). He was a speaker at the ICPD +25 Nairobi Summit and was invited by local and international media as a youth expert on SRHR and CSE. Currently, he is a student in the Psychology Department of the American University of Central Asia.

Anamaria Bejar

Global Director, Advocacy, IPPF

Anamaria Bejar has twenty-years of experience working on health, gender, and human rights. Currently, she is IPPF’s Director of Advocacy, in that capacity she is responsible for the implementation of IPPF’s Advocacy Common Agenda. Prior to joining IPPF, Anamaria was Associate Director for Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean at the International HIV/ AIDS Alliance. Her career started at the community level working with indigenous communities on maternal and child health and nutrition in Cusco-Peru at Ministry of Health and includes five years in Cuba as a Save the Children country director. Anamaria serves as a Member of the Technical Review Panel of the Global Fund against Tuberculosis, AIDS and Malaria. She is a social anthropologist with an MSc on Health Policy Planning and Financing from the London School of Economics and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Alvaro Bermejo

Director General, IPPF

Alvaro Bermejo assumed the role of Director-General IPPF in March 2018. He has more than 20 years’ experience as a senior executive in global federations, working across HIV, humanitarian issues, and health policy. Prior to joining IPPF he was Executive Director at the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, where he helped build an adolescent sexual and reproductive health portfolio. Previously, he led the International HIV/AIDS Alliance for more than a decade, where he oversaw rapid growth in its programmes and new country expansion, and achieved significant policy influence. Alvaro also spent more than ten years with the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) where, as Director, Health and Care, he created the environment and partnerships that positioned the Red Cross as a key player in the fight against HIV and AIDS and helped establish the IFRC’s global emergency health response mechanisms. Alvaro qualified as a medical doctor from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid and holds an MA in Public Health from the University of Leeds

Sarah Jane Biton

Program Operations Group Head, Family Planning Organization of the Philippines

With eight-years of experience in the field of SRHR, Sarah Jane is the youngest Program Operations Group Head of FPOP in its 50-year history. Her passion to reach out to the underserved started in college when she began her advocacy on human rights. The initiatives she joined and experiences she went through prompted her to join FPOP after graduating. She now leads a number of initiatives including the implementation of digital health interventions of FPOP and the delivery of services on harm reduction due to unsafe abortion in the country. Working with driven individuals, her vision is to utilize technology to enhance SRH service delivery in the country. She also produces advocacy videos and films. Her film that tackles abortion realities in the Philippines, which is entitled “Tainted”, was a finalist in Global Forum Health Film Festival 2015. Sarah Jane is a registered nurse in the Philippines and is now on her final year taking up Master of Development Communication at the University of the Philippines.

Francy Cifuentes

Director, IPPF Opposition Hub, Planned Parenthood Federation of America

Francy Cifuentes has a Law Degree in law. Started her career working in Costa Rica on gender based violence and after moving to Colombia, she has been working on building capacity responses to opposing groups to SHRH and LGBTQ+ rights. Her work included attending anti-rights events in several countries, monitoring and analyzing opposition strategies, writing reports and providing technical assistance to organizations. Francy has also worked with different guilds mapping stakeholders and opposition. Currently she is leading the strategy to reduce the impact of opposition groups at Planned Parenthood Global.

Irene Donadio

Senior Lead, Strategy and Partnership, IPPF in Europe and Central Asia

Irene Donadio is the Senior Lead on Strategy and Partnership of the International Planned Parenthood Federation in Europe and Centra Asia. Irene is responsible for optimising the impact of IPPF EN’s work to support SRHR and tackle opposition in the political and social spheres. She leads the strategy to support social movements. Irene has been holding senior positions for 20 years, having been IPPFEN Manager of Public Affairs, leading EU advocacy and communication, Chair of the Social Cohesion Committee of the International NGO of the Council of Europe, and the EU representative of the European Council on Refugees and Exiles prior to IPPF. Irene holds a post-graduate degree in social economy and a BA in political science from the University of Florence.

Yacoub Ebnou

Program Director, Association Mauritanienne pour la Promotion de la Famille

Yacoub Ebnou has sixteen-years of experience working with AMPF on Sexual Reproductive Health, Family planning, comprehensive sexuality education, Gender Based Violence and program management. He has been AMPF’s Program Director since 2010, in that capacity he is responsible for the implementation and follow up of AMPF’s projects. This includes reporting, writing proposals, correspondence with Regional Office, Central Office, donors and partners. From 2006 until 2010, he worked at the International Organization for Migration as a Program Assistant on HIV.
In addition to Yacoub’s position as a Program Director, he is currently the WISH Lot 1 Coordinator at AMPF. Yacoub’s career started at the community level working in Assaba as a Regional Delegate for AMPF.

Mona Eltahawy

Freelance Journalist

Mona Eltahawy is an Egyptian American freelance journalist and commentator. Her essays and op-eds on Egypt, the Islamic world, and women’s rights have appeared in The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Christian Science Monitor, The Miami Herald, and other publications. She has appeared as a guest commentator on MSNBC, BBC, CNN, PBS, Al-Jazeera, NPR, and dozens of other television and radio networks. She lives in New York.

Riva Eskinazi

Director, Strategic Partnerships & Development, IPPF

Riva Eskinazi leads IPPF’s resource mobilization efforts, including engagement and collaboration with donors and building strategic partnerships that are critical to the success of the Federation’s mission. She brings experience in sexual and reproductive health rights, economic development and gender equality with postings in the USA and the United Kingdom. Prior to that, Riva worked at the World Bank in various capacities including grants management, and technical assistance for private sector development in Africa and South Asia regions. Riva holds a Master’s degree in International Economics and Development from the Johns Hopkins University.

Kate Gilmore

Chair of Board of Trustees, IPPF

Kate Gilmore is the Chair of IPPF’s Board of Trustees and she has been a Fellow at the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy, Harvard Kennedy School since February 2020. She is researching human rights concerns including: the political economy of sexual and reproductive health and rights; organizational leadership in a world of “J curve” change; acceleration of youth participation in public decision making; and civil service without fear or favor. Kate was United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights from 2014 to 2019 and was Assistant Secretary General and Deputy Executive Director, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) from 2012 to 2014. Before this, she was Executive Deputy Secretary General at Amnesty International from 2000 to Amongst the skills required for the Board of Trustees, Kate can point to senior executive experience; safeguarding; and program delivery experience.

Manuelle Hurwitz

Director, Programmes Division, IPPF

Manuelle Hurwitz is the Director, Programmes Division at IPPF. She has the responsibility on overseeing the global technical, supply chain, humanitarian and restricted project delivery work of the Secretariat. Prior to this post, Manuelle was the Director, Institutional Delivery. She led on the delivery of restricted funded projects as well as health information systems and supply chain management. In previous roles, Manuelle led IPPF’s abortion strategy and programmes. She established the Global Comprehensive Abortion Care Initiative in 2007 which is currently in its fifth phase of implementation. From 2001 to 2007, Manuelle was Senior Programme Officer in IPPF’s Innovation Fund where she managed a programme funded by the European Commission on youth and sexual and reproductive health, mainly in Francophone Africa. Manuelle is the Chair of the Board of the Safe Abortion Action Fund and is currently a member of the Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition and UNFPA RH Supplies Program steering committees.

Dr Syed Kamal

Rahnuma Family Planning Association of Pakistan

Dr Syed Kamal Shah, Chief Executive Officer Rahnuma Family Planning Association of Pakistan (Rahnuma-FPAP), has over 20 years work experience in the government sector and 15 years in International and national NGOs in Pakistan. He has led Rahnuma-FPAP (the largest and oldest NGO in Pakistan) as CEO since 2007 and briefly served as IPPF’s Regional Director for South Asia. He maintains close coordination with national and international bilateral and multilateral donor agencies, SRHR consortiums, networks and alliances while remaining at the cutting edge with IPPF standards and policies. Dr. Kamal was awarded the Performance Excellence Award by the Prime Minister of Pakistan as Chief Executive Officer of Rahnuma-FPAP.

Tlaleng-Mofokeng

UN Special Rapporteur on the right to health

Tlaleng Mofokeng, from South Africa, was appointed as Special Rapporteur by the UN Human Rights Council at its forty-fourth session in July 2020. She is a medical doctor with expertise advocating for universal health access, HIV care, youth-friendly services and family planning.

Zainab Mukhtar

Communications and Marketing Officer, Planned Parenthood Federation of Nigeria

Zainab Mukhtar currently works with PPFN as the Communications and Marketing Officer. She is responsible for the implementation of PPFN’s Communications Strategy. She is passionate about contributing to achieving SDG5-Gender Equality. She is also an online content creator, running a YouTube channel on young people’s sexual and reproductive health and rights. Her passion about SRHR also led her to volunteer as head of communications with Seeds of Mercy and Love Foundation (SML), a community-based organization working tirelessly to provide services to young people and advocate at the grassroots level for SRHR.

Bassey Nyambi

Director, Global Partnerships, Planned Parenthood Federation of America

Bassey Nyambi is an experienced and passionate reproductive health and rights advocate at Planned Parenthood Global, the international arm of Planned Parenthood Federation of America. Working closely with young people and advocates in Latin America and Africa, Bassey specifically focuses on connecting the innovative work on the ground with the work happening in the US and with the broader, intersectional global movement.