Nancy Akeyo, Kenya, participating in the Every Woman Fellowship, February 2025
The Every Woman Fellowship is an online, peer-to-peer leadership program that builds the capacity of women’s rights activists to advocate for laws and policies to end violence against women and girls. Since the program’s launch in 2021, over 400 women’s rights activists in 64 countries have graduated from the program.
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Every Woman is proud to support the leadership of activists around the world through our Fellowship program. Over the past several months, we have heard from graduates about the work they are doing to address violence and further gender equality — efforts that are essential to creating a safer, more just world for women and girls everywhere.
Here are 9 fellows who are shaping the future of equality.
Louisa Eikhomun-Agbonkhese
Advocating for policy change in Nigeria
Every Woman Fellow alum Louisa Eikhomun-Agbonkhese is championing the Edo State Women Economic Justice Empowerment Bill. Introduced to the Edo State House of Assembly in 2022, the bill, when passed, will help aid survivors, reduce poverty, promote inclusion, and ensure accountability in women’s economic programs. “With financial freedom, a woman can make informed decisions and seek help from an abusive husband and an abusive environment,” says Louisa, founder of Echoes of Women in Africa Initiative. This groundbreaking bill would be the first of its kind in Nigeria.
Linda Stucbartova, Czech Republic
Teaching self-defense
Women civil servants are often a target of aggression, both verbal and physical, says Every Woman Fellow alum Linda Stucbartova. To help address the problem, Linda leads empowered self-defense sessions, a global program that teaches personal safety and violence prevention strategies. Her work was recently recognized by the Ministry of Interior’s magazine.
Dr. Farzana Khan, India
Working toward full implementation of domestic violence law
While the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act passed in 2005 in India marked a significant breakthrough for the women’s rights movement, several gaps remain in its implementation. Every Woman Fellow alum Dr. Farzana Khan and her colleagues at My Choices Foundation is working to change that. At the state level in Telangana, they are collaborating with the police department to develop standard protocols for counseling domestic violence survivors, and as subject experts, they have conducted multiple training sessions with the police and other key stakeholders to implementation of the law on the ground.
Tah Edwan Ngum, Cameroon
A historic step for women’s rights
Over the last four years, Every Woman Fellow alum Tah Edwan Ngum, founder of Haven for Rebirth and a dedicated barrister, has worked in close collaboration with the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and the Family to elevate customary marriage to the same legal status as civil marriage, thereby protecting the inheritance rights of women. This new law, passed in December 2024, represents a significant victory in the legal protection of women’s rights.
Bushra Mahnoor, Pakistan
Making menstruation normal
Following the devastating impact of the 2022 floods, Every Woman Fellow alum Bushra Mahnoor founded Mahwari Justice to address period poverty and menstrual stigma in Pakistan. She raised $50,000 and enlisted the help of over 250 student volunteers to distribute more than 150,000 menstrual relief kits to individuals affected by the flood. Today, she promotes menstrual education and awareness through creative strategies, such as a superhero-themed comic book to normalize periods, rap songs in regional languages to break societal taboos, and the PadCraft project, which produces reusable sanitary pads while generating employment opportunities. She is also pushing for the removal of the luxury tax on menstrual products.
Dr. Adnan Arshad, Pakistan/China
Ensuring gender-responive polices
Climate change and food insecurity disproportionately impact women and girls. Every Woman Fellow alum Dr. Adnan Arshad (Pakistan) is leading efforts at Lanzhou University in China, together with PODA-Pakistan, to ensure the development of gender-responsive policies that support women as key stakeholders and leaders. His work is helping to shape a safer and more equitable future.
Hajah Kandeh, Sierra Leone/USA
We must “Treasure the Children”
Every child deserves to grow up safe, healthy, and happy. That’s the message behind Every Woman Fellow alum Hajah Kandeh’s (Sierra Leone/USA) initiative, Treasure the Children. “I came up with the name because to treasure something means to secure and safeguard it,” she says. Her goal is to have child protection awareness and signage in all spaces where children frequently gather, such as classrooms, churches, and camps. Her organization, Do Tell Foundation, is currently advocating U.S. lawmakers to draft legislation to support this initiative. Her goal is to someday take Treasure the Children global.
Violet Ombaka, Kenya
New law to better protect survivors
Every Woman Fellow alum Violet Ombaka and the Women Pillar Alliance (WOPA) played a pivotal role in advocating for the Sexual and Gender-based Violence Control and Management Act, 2024 in Kakamega County. This landmark law is Kenya’s first Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) Act dedicated to prevention and support for survivors.
Samuel Azakasi, Ghana
Equipping caregivers with tools to protect children
Every Woman Fellow alum Samuel Azakasi is making strides in child protection by teaching abuse prevention in a nursing school in Ghana. His newly published book, Safeguarding the Future: Child Protection and Abuse for Health Caregivers and Social Workers (The African Edition), will soon be available as an e-book.
