Nepal Workshop to Welcome Indo Pacific Feminist Leaders

Participants from the Samaan Aawaaj / Equal Voice project will gather August 17 to 21 in Nepal for a Feminist Leadership Workshop. The workshop brings together participants, feminist leaders from across the Indo-Pacific region, and two St. Francis Xavier University students, Maria Young and Fiona Boyd, for an interactive learning experience focused on practice, reflection, and collaboration.

A distinctive feature of the workshop is a diverse group of feminist leaders from the Indo-Pacific who are experienced and emerging leaders working toward gender justice and social transformation. These leaders will design and facilitate interactive sessions based on their own experience. Using participatory methods such as storytelling, dialogue, creative exercises, or practical tools, they will inspire dialogue, challenge dominant narratives, and foster social change.

Over the five days, the participants will explore the complex realities of feminist leadership, including the challenges, risks, contradictions, and opportunities of advancing gender justice in different cultural, political, and social contexts. The workshop emphasizes anti-colonial, anti-racist, and intersectional feminist practice, while creating opportunities for participants to learn across generations, cultures, and lived experiences.

Meet the Leaders

Fawzul Himaya Hareed Sisterhood Initiative, Sri Lanka

Fawzul is a Sri Lanka-based writer, researcher and communications specialist dedicated to advancing the rights of minority women through digital outreach. She actively facilitates dialogues on gender and women’s rights, with a particular focus on the challenges faced by Muslim women due to systemic and social discrimination.

Syed Rashad Imam Tanmoy Cartoon People, Bangladesh

Syed is a Bangladeshi cartoonist, comic book artist, storyteller, and founder of Cartoon People and Cartoon People Comics. His work spans political cartooning, comics, children’s literature, and community art, focusing on freedom of expression, human rights, and social justice. He has contributed to leading Bangladeshi newspapers and collaborated with organizations including the British Council and Artolution, using murals and visual storytelling to engage marginalized communities, including Rohingya refugees. A TEDx speaker and internationally recognized fellow, Syed champions creativity and storytelling as powerful tools for dialogue, inclusion, and positive social change through art.

Nandar Purple Feminists Group, Myanmar

Nandar is a feminist storyteller, podcaster, and movement-builder from Myanmar. She founded and leads Purple Feminists Group, advancing gender equality, menstrual justice, and feminist leadership through storytelling, advocacy, and community-building. For over a decade, she has fostered dialogue on gender, bodily autonomy, and social justice. She hosts G-Taw Zagar Wyne and Feminist Talks, co-directed Myanmar’s bilingual The Vagina Monologues, and translated Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s We Should All Be Feminists and Dear Ijeawele into Burmese. Named to BBC 100 Women in 2020, she champions storytelling as a catalyst for social change.

Nina Enriquez

Dakila, Phillippines

Nina is a feminist activist and multimedia communications specialist from the Philippines. She has more than a decade of experience as a visual artist, campaigner, and organizer for human rights, gender justice, social justice, and climate justice. She is currently a Communications Director of DAKILA – Philippine Collective for Modern Heroism, and a core member of DAKILA’s Feminist Collective.

Rukhshanda Naz Mera Ghar-NET, Pakistan

Rukhshanda is a lawyer, human rights advocate, and pioneer for women’s rights in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Holding degrees in law, peace and reconciliation studies, and international law, she has spent more than two decades advancing gender equality and amplifying marginalized voices. She led the Peshawar office of Aurat Foundation for 16 years, served as provincial head of UN Women Pakistan and Global Human Rights Law Group Afghanistan/Pakistan, and contributed to national policy reforms on women’s political participation, human rights, and the rights of internally displaced women. In 2019, she became Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s first Women Ombudsperson, further cementing her legacy as a champion for gender justice. Through her work as a lawyer, activist, and policymaker, Rukhshanda continues to inspire and empower women to lead change in their communities and beyond.

Paramita Chaudhuri British Council, India

Paramita is a feminist practitioner, researcher, and program leader from India with over 25 years of experience advancing gender justice and social inclusion across South Asia. Her work spans research, advocacy, policy, and program leadership on violence against women and children, workplace safety, sexual and reproductive health and rights, trafficking, child protection, and women’s economic empowerment. She contributed to drafting India’s Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act and has worked with organisations including Save the Children, Population Council, and Azaad Foundation. She explores the intersections of gender, leadership, creativity, and economic empowerment.

Chau Sophon

Cambodia

Chau is a strategic project and program management professional from Cambodia with over 10 years of experience leading initiatives across international NGOs, private companies, and local organizations. Her expertise includes project management, partnership building, capacity development, and qualitative research. She combines strategic insight with operational excellence and a strong commitment to empowering emerging leaders. A passionate traveler and storyteller, Chau documented experiences from all 25 provinces of Cambodia in her book. She now inspires others through 367 Days, a platform of talks, workshops, and publications that encourage people to pursue their dreams with purpose and confidence.

Soeum Hoeung

Angkor Centre for Conservation of Biodiversity (ACCB), Cambodia

Soeum is a community development practitioner from Cambodia with over a decade of NGO experience. Originally from Siem Reap, she holds a degree in Agricultural Economics and Rural Development and earned a Master’s in Sustainable Development Goals in New Zealand in 2025. Her work focuses on education, youth empowerment, and environmental stewardship. She completed a 12,000-kilometre motorcycle journey across Cambodia, combining adventure with community engagement. Soeum is committed to promoting community-led solutions, believing collaboration, meaningful participation, and local leadership are essential to building a more prosperous and sustainable future.

Pranjali Singh

Didi Bahini, Nepal

Pranjali is a development practitioner, facilitator, and creative leader who believes that meaningful social change begins with listening to communities and creating spaces where everyone can participate with dignity. Her journey has taken her from leading art-based psychosocial programs for children to working alongside women’s groups, civil society organizations, and local leaders to advance gender equality and social inclusion. Through these experiences, she has developed a strong belief that sustainable change happens when people are equipped with confidence, skills, and opportunities to shape the decisions that affect their lives. As the Project Lead of DidiBahini, Pranjali leads initiatives that promote women’s leadership, strengthen local organizations, and foster collaboration between communities, government, and development partners. Through the Samaan Aawaj (Equal Voice) project, she is committed to supporting women and marginalized communities to raise their voices, influence decision-making, and contribute to building a more just, inclusive, and equitable society.

Gardika Bajracharya The Story Kitchen, Nepal

Gardika is a journalist, feminist advocate, and Program Lead at The Story Kitchen in Nepal. Raised in a Newar community in Kathmandu, she experienced the restrictions often placed on girls and women, shaping her early understanding of gender inequality. After beginning her career in television journalism, Gardika’s perspective shifted through her encounters with women in rural communities, where she witnessed the realities of domestic violence, reproductive coercion, and systemic discrimination. These experiences inspired her to pursue Gender Studies and dedicate her career to advancing women’s human rights. Since joining The Story Kitchen in 2020, Gardika has worked to amplify the voices and stories of women whose contributions have been overlooked or erased. Combining journalism, storytelling, and activism, she is committed to challenging inequality and ensuring that diverse women’s experiences are seen, heard, and valued.

Maria Sarker Christian Commission for Development in Bangladesh, Bangladesh

Maria is Project Coordinator for the Samaan Aawaaj project at CCDB in Bangladesh and has over 19 years of experience in international development. She has led projects focused on gender equality, women’s empowerment, human rights, health, livelihoods, child protection, and climate resilience. Her expertise includes project management, donor reporting, monitoring, advocacy, feminist leadership, capacity building, and partnership development with government, civil society, and the private sector. Committed to inclusive and sustainable development, Maria works to strengthen vulnerable communities through collaborative leadership, evidence-based programming, and initiatives that advance gender equality and social justice.

News and Events

StFX Students Selected for Feminist Leadership Workshop in Nepal

Jun 29, 2026

StFX students Maria Young and Fiona Boyd have been selected to travel to Nepal this August through Coady Institute’s Samaan Aawaaj (Equal Voice) project. They will join feminist leaders from across the Indo-Pacific region for a week of learning, dialogue, and cross-cultural exchange on leadership and social change.

Impact Snapshot Highlights Year One Progress of Samaan Aawaaj / Equal Voice

Jun 23, 2026

The first year of the Samaan Aawaaj / Equal Voice project has demonstrated the power of local leadership, collective action, and inclusive participation in strengthening democratic spaces in Nepal and Bangladesh.

Travel and Learn in Nepal

Apr 16, 2026

StFX students are invited to apply for a fully funded opportunity to travel to Nepal and participate in a five-day Feminist Leadership Workshop with global activists and community leaders.

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