Corus International is excited to participate in the upcoming Women Deliver conference in Kigali, Rwanda from July 17 – 20. We are proud to be a sponsor of this global convening that champions gender equality and the health and rights of girls and women, in all their intersecting identities. The Women Deliver conference brings together influential voices, thought leaders, policymakers and grassroots activists to spark transformative conversations, share best practices and develop strategies for driving change. At Corus, we are dedicated to advancing a more equitable world where women and girls can thrive.
If you are attending the conference in-person in Kigali, please find us at exhibition booth #1 in the Square area. Our booth celebrates women changemakers around the globe who champion inclusive sustainable livelihoods, health care access and local capacity strengthening in their communities.
Corus organization IMA World Health will also be leading a side event at Women Deliver highlighting key lessons for the advancement of women’s health and wellbeing in fragile settings. Learn more about our side event and featured speakers below!
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The past decade of advancing women's wellbeing in fragile settings
When: Wednesday, July 19, 7:00 – 8:30 AM CAT
Where: M-Hotel, Room Pelican-3
As climate change, violence and political and economic crises send more countries into fragility, it is paramount that we learn from the successes and challenges of work done in the past decade to advance women’s health and wellbeing in fragile settings. Panelists from Corus organization IMA World Health will cover key lessons from major projects focused on women’s health and gender-based violence response and prevention, such as USAID-funded Tushinde, Ushindi and MOMENTUM Integrated Health Resilience projects in Sub-Saharan Africa and offer best practices that can be replicated across contexts.
Our presenters
Moderator: Noshaba Zafar, Senior Technical Advisor - Gender-Based Violence
Noshaba Zafar currently leads gender-based violence (GBV) prevention, mitigation, and response efforts at Corus International.
Noshaba has worked in advisory and managerial roles in the development sector for more than 18 years, with experience across diverse cultural contexts and regions where she designed, evaluated, and implemented gender responsive programs, specifically focusing on program models for young boys and girls. Noshaba has worked closely with country program offices, national governments, local implementing partners, and directly with program participants on issues like child early and forced marriage, sexual and gender-based violence in and outside schools, sexual exploitation and abuse, and workplace harassment.
Panelist: Laura Elisama, South Sudan Senior Program Manager, MOMENTUM Integrated Health Resilience
Laura Elisama serves as the Senior Program Manager for MOMENTUM Integrated Health Resilience in South Sudan.
Laura is a health economist and gender advocate with over 15 years of extensive multi-cultural work experience in post-conflict and emergency contexts with international nongovernmental organizations (INGOs) involving multilateral donors such as the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), USAID's Bureau for Humanitarian Assitance (BHA), the U.K.’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), the European Union (EU), as well as the governments of Kenya, Sudan, South Sudan, and Somalia. Laura has a proven track record of direct managerial and technical experience in program design, effective and strategic project implementation, public financial planning, and management.
Panelist: Dr. Alice Mudekereza, Chief of Party, Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) Kit Procurement and Distribution
Dr. Alice Mudekereza acts as the Chief of Party for IMA World Health’s PEP Kit project where she works with local partners and regional networks to ensure that survivors of GBV in the DRC have consistent access to life-saving medications.
Alice is a seasoned public health professional, medical doctor and humanitarian specialist who has over 20 years of experience providing clinical care, strengthening health systems and delivering essential health care services in some of the worlds' most challenging contexts. She has led technical and programmatic teams to support initiatives around HIV prevention, reproductive health, GBV, mental health and primary health care throughout the DRC. Alice works collaboratively with INGOs, United Nations agencies, the World Bank, U.S. Government donors, and public health officials to advocate for and improve DRC national policies related to the health system and has been an avid champion for GBV survivors' rights.
Panelist: Charles Makongo, DRC Country Director
Charles Makongo serves as the Country Director of the DRC for IMA World Health and previously acted as the Head of the Goma Office as well as the Chief of Party for the USAID-funded Counter-Gender Based Violence Program (Tushinde Ujeuri).
Prior to joining IMA World Health, Charles worked for the American Bar Association (ABA) as the Deputy Chief of Party/Senior Legal Advisor for the USAID-funded Expanding Access to Justice project in Somalia and served as the ABA’s Country Director in the DRC where he managed the implementation of a wide range of programs centered on human rights and rule of law. Charles also previously worked with a number of international organizations including Lions Club International as well as Voluntary Service Overseas. He was also a project manager and national expert under the sphere of European Union-Cameroon Cooperation and the PACDET human rights pilot project to improve legal and material detention conditions in Cameroon prisons. He is a former member of the Cameroon Ministry of Justice Unit to combat corruption within the justice system, the Cameroon chapter of the International Prison Watch, and the Cameroon chapter of the Coalition for the International Criminal Court (ICC).