An established body of evidence suggests that gender transformative programming must be holistic and address the intersecting barriers that adolescent girls face. Nonetheless, a vast gap remains: the SRH and economic empowerment sectors rarely collaborate, and programs are rarely integrated.
This session will bridge this gap by bringing together these two disparate fields. No question is off the table as a dynamic panel will debate, share and inspire, equipping participants with practical tools and tips on how to deliver effective programs that integrate economic empowerment and SRH and ultimately, deliver for adolescent girls. Come prepared to participate, share and learn.
Fifi is a highly motivated Public Health Specialist with over 17 years’ experience leading successful health programs, with a focus on Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health. She is currently the Director of the global A360 project at Population Services International (PSI) and previously led the A360 project in Nigeria at Society for Family Health. Fifi has a Bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy, Master’s degrees in Public Health and Business Administration and pursuing a Doctorate in Public Health. She is a fellow of the West African Post Graduate College of Pharmacists.
Alice has been a Youth Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Advocate since 2019. She is currently a Youth Innovation Champion supporting the A360 program in Kenya, with skills in youth engagement and stakeholder management. She is the Meaningful Adolescent and Youth Engagement (MAYE) Champion for Migori County. Alice dedicates her time to supporting adolescent girls and young women by improving their access to reproductive health information and services. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Education (Arts) and certifications in Adolescent and Youth Holistic Health Approach, Gender Equality/Women’s Empowerment, and Policy Development and Advocacy for Global Health.
Dr. Karen Austrian leads Population Council’s Girl Innovation, Research, and Learning (GIRL) Center—a global research hub that generates, synthesizes, and translates evidence on adolescents to support investments that transform their lives, especially for girls. Prior to this role, Austrian led a portfolio of projects designed to empower girls in East and Southern Africa. She develops, implements, and evaluates programs that build girls’ protective assets, such as financial literacy, social safety nets, health and wellbeing and access to education. Austrian is also actively involved in ensuring that evidence on adolescence is used by global, national, and local stakeholders.
Rudo Kayombo is the Regional Director, Africa for BRAC International. Rudo has 25 years of experience leading teams globally. Prior to BRAC, she was Chief Operations Officer at Food for the Hungry, Executive Director for Africa for ONE Campaign, and Regional Director for the Southern Africa Region for World Vision. She has also held senior roles as National Director for World Vision in Uganda and Zimbabwe.She is passionate about championing the rights of vulnerable and marginalised groups. Rudo completed her Master’s in Public Policy and Management at University of York and her Bachelor’s in Law at University of Zimbabwe.
Greta leads the Foundation’s work on Women’s Economic Empowerment, overseeing a portfolio of investments covering gender data and evidence, women’s economic collectives (WECs) and livelihoods development for poor women. Prior to joining the foundation, Greta worked for 15 years at the World Bank Group, where she served for six years as the CEO of CGAP, a think tank focused on financial services for the poor housed in the World Bank. Greta has a Master’s degree in Public Policy from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government and an undergraduate degree in International Studies from the University of Washington.
Katherine (she/her) has over 15 years of experience working at the intersection of gender equality, international development and humanitarian response. In her current role as Senior Consultant with Kore Global, she leads a dynamic portfolio of strategy, technical assistance and design work for a range of clients including PSI, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), Grand Challenges Canada and CGAP. She previously worked for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Headquarters, supporting key workstreams to prevent sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment within the UN-system. As a gender technical specialist, Katherine has been able to apply a gender lens to a range of social issues, building expertise in gender-based violence, sexual and reproductive health and rights and education; engaging stakeholders at all levels from community leaders to senior government officials. She formerly worked as a Gender Advisor for large INGOs such as Plan International, Girl Effect and VSO, co-creating community-driven solutions to complex social problems.
Meghan Cutherell is a seasoned Public Health practitioner with 10+ years of expertise in reproductive and maternal health, HCD, health systems strengthening, and gender. With a passion for diverse projects, she excels in managing and strategizing across public health topics. Meghan’s roles include leading the global technical unit and coordinating technical strategies at PSI and Adolescents 360 since 2017. She previously managed USAID-funded health systems strengthening project in Ghana and contributed to reproductive health programming in emergency settings across the Middle East and South Asia. Meghan holds a Master’s Degree in Reproductive and Maternal Health from UNC Chapel Hill, with certifications in gender and Arabic studies. Beyond work, she’s an eco-conscious gardener and plant-based recipe explorer.
