UNiTE to End Violence against Women campaign
 

JUDGES

 

AMER KAPETANOVIĆ

Photographer, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Mr. Kapetanović is a professional photographer, who holds the distinction of Master Photographer. His work has been featured in over 100 exhibitions, including 15 individual ones, in 14 countries around the world. In 2006, he received the “Collegium Artisticum” award of the Association of Applied Art Artists and Designers of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Mr. Kapetanović lectures on art and commercial photography, he teaches digital photography and he is the vice-president of the Photographic Association.

CHARLOTTE BUNCH

Founding Director and Senior Scholar of the Center for Women's Global Leadership (CWGL) at Rutgers University, USA

Ms. Bunch has been a renowned activist, author and organizer in the feminist and human rights movements for four decades. A Distinguished Professor in Women’s and Gender Studies, she directed CWGL for 20 years and led their path breaking work on violence against women as a human rights issue, initiated Global Women’s Leadership Institutes as well as co-created the Gender Equality Architecture Reform (GEAR) Campaign that worked for the creation of UN Women.

DEBI NOVA

Artist, Costa Rica

UNiTE Youth Champion, Debi Nova, is a singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who has amassed an impressive body of work including six Grammy-nominated projects, a #1 single and collaborations with the likes of Black Eyed Peas, Sean Paul and Ricky Martin. She has been writing and performing professionally since the age of 14 and signed her first songwriter deal at the age of 17, subsequently penning songs for Latin recording artists Belinda and RBD, Sean Paul, Mark Ronson, just to name a few. Her current album, Luna Nueva, is an electrifying combination of irresistible Latin rhythms and potent pop smarts that showcases this vivacious artist's considerable musical gifts – she plays piano, guitar, bass, and more – as well as her rich Latina heritage.

NYRADZAYI GUMBONZVANDA

General Secretary, World YWCA, Zimbabwe

Ms. Gumbonzvanda has been the World YWCA General Secretary since 2007. Her leadership of the World YWCA movement extends across 108 countries with a reach of 25 million women and girls. She provides leadership for the YWCA movement's priorities in women's leadership on the topics of sexual and reproductive health and rights, HIV and AIDS, violence against women, peace with justice, and economic empowerment.

PHAM ANH KHOA (MR. PAK)

Artist, Vietnam

Mr. PAK is known as a rocker with a voice of instinctive passion and energetic performing style, as well as for his guitar-playing and composing talents. He is actively involved in many social campaigns and charity events and was the goodwill ambassador for the Soul Nation campaign for primary prevention of gender-based violence in Vietnam.

ERIC KABERA

Journalist and film-maker, Rwanda

Mr. Kabera is founder and president of Rwanda Cinema Center with training in foundation courses in psychology, pedagogy and Law. After a training offered by Reuters Foundation in London, he worked as radio journalist for 3 years with the national broadcaster and as a freelancer for the Africa Section of the BBC. He was selected to attend a specialized training in directing and film production in Hollywood (Los Angeles).

GILBERTO Nelson Macuacua

TV Presenter, Mozambique

Mr. Macuacua is a gender activist with extensive experience in communication for development, social marketing and community development. He has received a degree in communications management from the Ecole Superiuere de Communication et Gestion de Caen, France. He is currently a TV presenter, news paper columnist and blogger on gender based violence. He is also a senior member of the Men For Change Network, HOPEM.

Kwamchetsi Makokha

Journalist, Kenya

Mr. Makokha is a 39-year-old journalist from Kenya who has held senior editorial positions at the country’s two largest newspapers, that is the Daily Nation and the East African Standard newspapers. He has also presented a top-rated TV talk show and co-edited an anthology of East African poetry, now in its fifth impression. Additionally, he has been writing a weekly column in Kenya’s two largest-circulating newspapers for 10 years. In 2001, the National Media Trust of Kenya awarded him the Journalist of the Year prize in the Commentaries category.

Mardey Ohui Ofoe

Execytive Director, Foundation for Female Photojournalists, Ghana

Ms. Ofoe, is a photojournalist, who has worked with the Foundation for Female Photojournalists since its inception in 1998 and as a journalist with the Ghanaian Times, The Ghanaian Chronicle and the Accra Daily Mail. She is a pan- African and a cultural diversity advocate focusing on women’s perspectives in development and serves as the acting programs director of the Women’s Arts Institute Africa.

Najat Ikhich

Women’s Rights Activist, Morocco

Ms. Ikhich is a Moroccan women’s rights activist and founding member of several Moroccan women’s rights organizations, among them the YTTO Foundation for Women Survivors of Violence. A participant at the 1995 Beijing conference and the follow-up conference 2005 in New York, Ms. Ikhich has consistently fought to end economic, social, legal and physical violence against women and has led efforts to inform thousands of Moroccan women to exercise their rights. She has extensive experience in campaigning and awareness-raising among women in Morocco, Mali, Senegal, France and Spain.

Aitzaz Ahsan

Attorney, Pakistan

Mr. Ahsan has served in a number of senior elected offices, including as a Government Minister, member of the National Assembly, and leader of the House in the Senate. The former President of the Supreme Court Bar association, he is one of Pakistan’s leading attorneys and a Senior Advocate at the Pakistan Supreme Court.

Apisit Laistrooglai

Managing Director, Thai Creative & Design Center, Thailand

Mr. Laistrooglai has 23 years of experience as a design lecturer at Silpakorn University and has served as a senior consultant on many research projects related to a wide range of design projects, including product design, shoe design, plastic packaging design, handicrafts, folk art and natural materials.

Busaba Chirathivat

Senior Vice President for Corporate Communications, Central Retail Corporation, Thailand

Under Ms. Chirathivat`s leadership and active involvement, the Central Retail Corporation, which is Thailand`s largest retail chain, became the second company in Thailand to sign onto the Women`s Empowerment Principles. Ms. Chirathivat is also the President of the Thai Retailer`s Association.

Fang Gang

Director, Institute of Sexualities and Gender Studies, Beijing Forestry University,China

Mr. Fang has conducted extensive research in the area of sexuality and gender, especially qualitative research on masculinities. He founded the "Feminist Men Academic Salon", committed to promoting male involvement for gender equality in mainland China, and is also the founder and head of “Men against Gender Violence Hotline”.

Jeffry Feeger

Artist, Papua New Guinea

Mr. Feeger is one of the most exciting young contemporary visual artists to emerge from the Pacific region. Jeffry was chosen as the lead design consultant for the award winning Papua New Guinea showcase at the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai. He is also has an incredible live painter, who is not afraid to take his art on stage. Being largely self-taught, this artist is met with high acclaim and he is currently scheduled for a multitude of upcoming international group and solo shows.

Preema Nazia Andaleeb

Artist, Bangladesh

Ms. Andaleeb is one of the most prominent contemporary artists in Bangladesh. Over 50 leading galleries around the world have featured her work in prestigious group exhibitions. She is guiding the Bangladesh Brand Forum, serves as Director and Curator of a studio of Art and Design, and oversees a monthly business magazine, entitled “Bangladesh Brand Forum”.

Syheap Mao

Coordinator, Cambodian Men’s Network, Cambodia

Mr. Mao is an activist working to engage boys and men in ending violence against women and girls. He has worked extensively to lobby, advocate, network and build capacity on gender-related issues and has conducted qualitative research to explore the links between gender, masculinities and domestic violence in Cambodia.

Cécile Gréboval

Secretary General, European Women’s Lobby, France

From January 2009 until her appointment as the Secretary General of the European Women’s Lobby in April this year, Ms. Gréboval held the post of Programme Director with a variety of strategic and management tasks, including advising and producing strategic policy input, contributing to fundraising and representing the organization externally. Cecile joined the EWL in 1996 as an Information Officer responsible for policy issues related to European gender equality legislation, women in decision-making and women’s rights in an international context.

Corentin Dellicour

Cellist, Belgium

Mr. Dellicour is a graduate of the Music Conservatory of Brussels. He performs on stage in very diverse projects, exploring the baroque chamber orchestra with "The Muffatti", chamber music, theater for adults and children, world music, film music, the French music and teaching the cello. Many of his CD recordings have been acclaimed and rewarded in specialized music magazines.

Lubomir Georgiev

Film producer and the Chairman of the Millennium Festival, Belgium

Mr. Georgiev was born in Sofia (Bulgaria) and is a lawyer by training. In 1986, he left his native country for Belgium as a political refugee, where he founded a production company and worked as a production manager, producer of documentary films, and for media campaigns with NGOs. To promote quality documentary films, he has created in 2008 the Millennium platform, which includes an international festival and film clubs.

Nodar Andguladze

Development Manager for the Rugby Union (GRU), Georgia

During 1998-2006, Mr. Andguladze was a prominent member of the Georgian National Rugby Team, and is currently a leading player of the Georgian rugby club Lelo Tbilisi, champions of Georgia in 2010. He is an active member of the International Rugby Board’s Legacy Program, and serves as the coordinator of the national project that introduces rugby to juvenile delinquents in a corrections facility in Tbilisi, to encourage re-socialization and reintegration into the society by teaching the youth values in rugby and for life.

Mirsaid Yahyaev

President of the National Taekwondo & Kickboxing Federation, Tajikistan

Mr. Yahyaev has worked as President of the National Taekwondo and Kickboxing Federation since 1991 and has initiated and implemented various activities to combat drugs and violence against women and girls. In 2010, as the leader of the Tajikistan campaign UNiTE to Say No to Violence against Women, Mr. Yahyaev facilitated collection of over 5000 signatures. Citizens of 56 countries, participants of two major world taekwondo championships, supported the campaign by undersigning the petition.

Cedella Marley

CEO, Tuff Gong International, Jamaica

Ms. Marley is the daughter of the reggae artist Bob Marley who currently lives in Miami and heads Tuff Gong International, a Company whose goal is to carry on the legacy of Bob Marley songs by producing music that inspires and motivates people towards peace, justice and self-fulfillment. She has developed a collection of customized women's clothing, named Catch A Fire, the title of one of her father's albums.

Lucy Garrido

Journalist and Activist, Uruguay

Ms. Garrido works for the rights of women worldwide and is internationally recognized for her courage to denounce the oppression of victims. She is one of the coordinators of the Marcosur Feminist Articulation, an alliance that has led the proposal for an Inter-American Convention about sexual and reproductive rights, and the editor of Cotidiano Mujer, a Uruguayan NGO working on women’s rights.

Mario Cader

Corporate Responsibility and Public Affairs Director for MTV Latin America, El Salavdor

Mr. Cader created the Latin American Cultural Space in Washington, and was the Officer in charge of Cultural Affairs at the Embassy of El Salvador in the United States. He has served on numerous nonprofit boards including the Many Hats Institute, dedicated to improving the living conditions of youth worldwide. Mr. Cader is strongly involved in social themes particularly relevant to children’s rights and has received prestigious awards such as the Distinguished Salvadoran and the ten year recognition from the National Gallery of Art.

Perla Vazquez

Consultant, Kellog Foundation, Mexico

Ms. Vázquez Díaz has been Mexican advocate for the rights of youth and women since she was 16 years old . She is currently an advisor for Mama Cash in Latin America and consultant for F. Kellogg youth in Mexico. She was director of Choose Youth Network for Sexual and Reproductive Rights and Latin American and Caribbean Network of Young People for Sexual and Reproductive Rights (REDLAC)

Ricardo Barush

AIDS Activist, Mexico

Mr. Barush is one of the young activists involved in the development and growth of the Global Youth Alliance against HIV/AIDS, a network of over 5,000 young leaders and adult allies working in over 170 countries world-wide. Its mission is to empower young leaders with the skills, knowledge, resources and opportunities they need to scale up HIV/AIDS interventions amongst their peers.

Svenn Grant

Director of Outreach Services, YMCA, Trinidad and Tobago

Mr. Grant is dedicated to working on sexual and reproductive rights, with a focus on condom promotion and access to comprehensive sexuality education. In his role at the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA), he is responsible for projects related to HIV education, prevention and advocacy, and gender and non-violence programming with a focus on men and boys. Mr. Grant works closely with the University of the West Indies’ Centre for Gender and Development Studies and is a member of a Project Advisory Committee for the faculty’s Breaking the Silence research project on child abuse.

Tania Pariona

Leader, Ñoqanchiq Youth Network, Peru

Ms. Pariona, from the Cayana-Ayacucho community Quechua people of Peru, leads the Network of Quechua children, adolescents and youth, which is involved in various national and international issues of indigenous women. Among others, they work to affirm their own cultural identity, through the use of art. Ms. Pariona works for the recognition of women’s rights and stresses the importance of behavioral change within the youth.

Cindy Warner

Managing Director, PricewaterhouseCoopers, USA

Ms. Warner has over 28 years experience as a management consultant and operational executive. She presently serves as a Managing Director at PricewaterhouseCoopers, where she leads the IT Strategy practice. Ms. Warner's career focus has been to create predictable organizational performance through leveraging technology and business intelligence. She has previously held senior level positions with Salesforce.com and Ernst & Young/CapGemini, LLC. Ms. Warner has served on the Council of Labor and Economic Growth for the State of Michigan. She is also a non-profit board member for ArdentCause and Sweet Dreamzzz.

Lauren Nishikawa

Project Manager of Emergent Media Center at Champlain College, USA

Ms. Nishikawa graduated from Champlain College in 2009 with a B.S. in Electronic Game Design. Through her time at Champlain, she worked as a lead designer for the BREAKAWAY game and eventually transitioned to its Creative Director. The BREAKAWAY tackles the issue of violence against women and girls through a fun, interactive and a free online football game endorsed by world- famous football player, Mr. Samuel Eto’o. The game is aimed at boys age 8-15 and is part of the UNiTE to End Violence against Women campaign.

Margery Kraus

Chief Executive Officer of APCO Worldwide, USA

Ms. Kraus founded APCO in 1984 and transformed it from a small consulting firm into one of the largest privately owned communication and public affairs firms in the world. APCO strives to be a responsible corporate citizen, a steward of the environment, and a reliable contributor to the local economy. Prior to starting APCO, Ms. Kraus assisted in the creation and development of the Close Up Foundation, a multi-million dollar educational foundation sponsored in part by the United States Congress.

Todd Minerson

Executive Director of White Ribbon Campaign, Canada

Mr. Minerson has spent the past 15 years working in gender justice, HIV/AIDS prevention, anti-poverty work, housing and homelessness, and with at-risk youth. He has also served as a volunteer and consultant for many community organizations, including sexual assault crisis centers. Most recently Mr. Minerson was appointed as a member of the UN Secretary General’s Network of Men Leaders, part of the UNiTE to End Violence against Women campaign.

Ted Bunch

Educator, Activist and Lecturer Ted Bunch, Co-Founder of A CALL TO MEN: The National Association of Men and Women Committed to Ending Violence Against Women, USA

Mr. Bunch is recognized both nationally and internationally for his expertise in organizing and educating men in the effort to end violence against women. He is dedicated to strengthening community accountability to end all forms of violence against women. Mr. Bunch has traveled abroad speaking in places like Israel, Suriname, South Africa, Ghana, Brazil and Puerto Rico as well as being an invited guest presenter for the United Nations' Commission on the Status of Women and the UN Alliance of Civilizations. He is an international lecturer for the U.S. State Department and was appointed by UN Secretary General Ban Ki- moon as a member of the UN Secretary General’s Network of Men Leaders, part of the UNiTE to End Violence against Women campaign.