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Panel: Women Deliver’s transformation: Our ongoing journey to become an anti-racist organization

03may8:00 am8:45 amPanel: Women Deliver’s transformation: Our ongoing journey to become an anti-racist organizationDarcy Allen De Gracia (USA), Zanda Desir (Saint Lucia), Maria Rendo (Argentina), Moderator: Maliha Khan (Pakistan)8:00 am - 8:45 am(GMT-04:00) View in my time

Event Details

In 2020, current and former employees at Women Deliver publicly shared testimonies of racial discrimination, harassment, bias, and a toxic work environment. This came amidst a global reckoning on racial justice, and prompted Women Deliver to reflect on what it is and what it wants to be, have difficult conversations, and begin a journey towards becoming an explicitly anti-racist organization.
Now, 2.5 years later Women Deliver is proud to say that we’re becoming a global NGO of the 21st Century.
This essential process has been, and continues to be, challenging. Hear Women Delivery share honest reflections and lessons learned to benefit others individuals and organizations in the global development sector.
This session shares our journey of examining our work to ensure to our actions are led by feminist movements in low- and middle-income countries and embody anti-racism and anti-colonialism. [Optional background reading ahead before attending this session: “Investigation of Workplace Concerns at Women Deliver, oct. 16, 2020.”

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Time

(Wednesday) 8:00 am - 8:45 am(GMT-04:00) View in my time

Speakers for this event

  • Darcy Allen De Gracia

    Darcy Allen De Gracia

    Manager, Policy and Advocacy, Women Deliver (USA)

      “Darcy is a Manager on Women Deliver’s Policy and Advocacy team, where she focuses on partnerships and policies for gender equality, health, health systems strengthening, and human rights. She has been with Women Deliver for 5 years and has participated in the organization’s internal and external processes to transform and become an anti-racist, anti-colonial global NGO.
      Prior to joining Women Deliver, Darcy spent 5 years at the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) where she contributed to the management of global programs for maternal health, obstetric fistula, and strengthening policy and advocacy efforts for sexual and reproductive health and rights.
      Darcy earned her MA in International Development from The New School in New York and her BA in Psychology and Social Behavior from the University of California, Irvine. She lives in New York with her husband and 1-year-old daughter and enjoys birding in her spare time. “

      Manager, Policy and Advocacy, Women Deliver (USA)

    • Dr. Maliha Khan

      Dr. Maliha Khan

      President/CEO, Women Deliver (Pakistan)

        Maliha joined Women Deliver as President/CEO in April 2022, at the height of the organization’s transition and evolution. An international expert in program design and performance, learning, and accountability, with a focus on the empowerment of girls and women Maliha is guiding Women Deliver to ensure its actions are led by and representative of feminist movements in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), and people with marginalized and vulnerable identities, including the very girls and women who have been pushed to the margins of society because of who they are or where they live. Maliha has over 25 years experience designing rights-based programs focused on girls and women, as a professor of gender studies, and implementation of women’s programs in marginalized regions of Pakistan, and around the world.

        President/CEO, Women Deliver (Pakistan)

      • Maria Rendo

        Maria Rendo

        Women Deliver, Senior Associate, Digital Communications (Argentina)

        Women Deliver, Senior Associate, Digital Communications (Argentina)

      • Zanda N Desir

        Zanda N Desir

        Young Leader Alumni, Women Deliver (Saint Lucia)

          “Zanda served as the Regional Coordinator for the Commonwealth Youth Peace Ambassadors Network for the Caribbean and Americas (CYPAN). CYPAN is a Pan-Commonwealth network which utilizes grassroots, national and regional participation to promote sustainable peace. She also brought the #NotAskingForIt campaign to the University of the West Indies-Mona campus. Part of a global movement, the campaign raised awareness about blaming and shaming of sexual assault victims post abuse.
          Zanda advocates for diversity, equity and inclusion within development organizations. She is an advisor to the Free STEM Fund which aims to make STEM opportunities more available and accessible to women, girls, transgender and non-binary people through direct grants. She is a Women Deliver Young Leader Alumni and continues to contribute to the organization and its mission. In 2020, she was part of the Transformation Engagement Working Group, as Women Deliver embarked on a journey to become an anti-racist organization. Today, she serves as a member of the Advisory group for the Women Deliver Conference 2023 to ensure that as one of largest convenings for the advancement of gender equality, the dialogue and programming is inclusive and accessible.

          Young Leader Alumni, Women Deliver (Saint Lucia)