Meet Our Teams
Canada Team | Afghanistan Team | Caribbean Team | Mexico Team | Nepal Team | Pakistan Team | Philippines Team
Canada Team
Dr. Liza Lorenzetti
Dr. Liza Lorenzetti (she/they) is from Italian heritage, born in Tiohtià:ke (Montréal) and living in Mokhinistsis (Calgary), Treaty 7. She lives in an intercultural and multilingual family with her partner Arya Boustani, from Iranian roots, and inspirational teen Parisa. As an activist-educator in the Faculty of Social Work at the University of Calgary, Liza’s teaching and research is informed by three decades of practice, and participation in social movements to counter and eventually transform gender-based violence, wealth inequality, racism, and settler colonialism. She continues to work within the community to impact policies and practices, and strengthen the capacities of leaders, researchers, and students to advance social justice and well-being through an intersectional lens. As a white settler, Liza is committed to walking a path of learning and action towards Truth and Reconciliation and racial and gender justice.
Dr. Aamir Jamal
Dr. Aamir Jamal is Associate Professor of International Social Development and Social Policy at the University of Calgary. He is an esteemed international scholar, researcher, and activist for gender justice, girls’ education, and women’s rights with a focus on the Global South. His work, which emerges from a strong social justice perspective, has informed policy and practice for national governments and international agencies, and inspired social movements. He takes a community-oriented approach towards his work, by integrating his knowledge of Pashtun culture into conversations about advancing girls’ education and women’s rights with men from Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Sarah Thomas (She/Her)
Sarah, born on Treaty 7, land of the Blackfoot Confederacy, the Tsuut’ina and Îyâxe Nakoda Nations and the Otipemisiwak Métis Government (Districts 5 and 6), is from Dutch, heritage. Sarah is an emerging activist scholar, feminist, and aspiring ally for gender, race, and ani-colonial justice and reconciliation. She completed her Bachelor of Social Work at the University of Calgary and is a recent graduate of the Master of Social Work program at York University where she conducted a critical narrative study with social work activist on how they sustain hope amidst slow change. Sarah has over 6 years of experience in grassroots community organizing and research and her current areas of interest include gender justice, knowledge mobilization, ethical relationship building, and mutual aid engagement. Sarah supports the Transforming Masculinities project as one of the projects coordinators.
Omer Jamal
Omer Jamal is the Research Coordinator on the Transforming Masculinities Project. He is passionate about human rights, racial and gender justice, and efforts to decolonize law, society, and research. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Calgary, an LLB International and European Law from the University of Groningen and is currently pursuing an LLM Public International Law at the University of Amsterdam
Dr. Rita Dhungel
Dr. Rita Dhungel is presently residing on Coast Salish People traditional territory as an unwanted guest. Dr. Dhungel, a native of Nepal, works as an assistant professor at the University of the Fraser Valley's School of Social Work and Human Services in Abbotsford, British Columbia. Dr. Dhungel has been working with socioeconomic marginalized groups such as trafficking survivors, women living with HIV, and women experiencing domestic violence, both locally and internationally, using participatory action research as advocacy and transformative research methodologies. Dr. Dhungel is adamant that conducting social justice research can advance transformative effects on the individual and the community.
Dr. Christine Walsh
Christine Walsh is a professor Faculty of Social Work, University of Calgary. She conducts community-based, action-oriented and arts-informed research in collaboration with marginalized populations, including Indigenous people, newcomers, and older adults and youth to enhance social inclusion and well-being. Christine also conducts research in interpersonal violence, gender-justice and allyship.
Dr. Monica Sesma-Vazquez
Dr. Monica Sesma-Vazquez is a bilingual (Spanish/English) Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Social Work, University of Calgary and an accented Mexican-Mestiza immigrant cisgender woman, originally from Mexico City. She has been living in Mohkinstsis (Calgary) for 10 years in the traditional territory of the Blackfoot Confederacy, Treaty 7, and Metis region 3. Monica brings over 25 years of relational, anti-oppressive, decolonizing, and culturally relevant clinical, educational, and research practices focusing on social interactional patterns and dynamics that impact peoples’ mental health and wellbeing.
Dr. Patrina Duhaney
Dr. Patrina Duhaney is an educator, scholar, activist, an assistant professor and chair of the Anti-Black Racism Task Force in the Faculty of Social Work at the University of Calgary. She is actively working to dismantle anti-Black racism and utilizes a transdisciplinary approach drawing from fields of social work, criminology, education, gender studies, and law. Dr. Duhaney has been recognized for her advancement of racial and gender justice at the academic and community levels and commitment to leading transformational change in Black communities. She was recently offered an academic co-lead position for Democracy, Justice and Sustainability in the Institutes for Transdisciplinary Scholarship at the University of Calgary. She has received several prestigious awards including the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion award, and Teaching Award for Team Teaching from the University of Calgary, the Faculty of Social Work Early Career Research Award and most recently the Calgary Black Achievement Award in Education. Dr. Duhaney’s expertise has been sought locally, nationally, and internationally. She was contracted by the Calgary Police Services’ (CPS) Strategic Planning, Research, and Analysis Section to lead the development of their anti-racism strategy by assessing the knowledge, environment and actions needed to address systemic racism within CPS. She was also requested to share her expertise on domestic violence by the Federal Ombudsperson for Victims of Crime and expertise on criminalization within Black communities by the National Judicial Institute to assist in the development of a curriculum for judges on anti-Black racism in the criminal justice system.
Abbas Mancey
Abbas has worked in the areas of engaging men and boys in domestic violence and gender equity; mental health awareness; conflict resolution and community development as a researcher and project manager for over 13 years. He has worked on initiatives with the United Nations, local governments and non-profit organizations in Guyana, the Caribbean, Sub-Saharan Africa, the US and Canada. He is a founding member of the Alberta Men’s Network which is a diverse community of Albertans committed to nonviolence and working across the gender spectrum to create healthy families and communities. Abbas has a degree (BA) in International Development from the University of Calgary and a BSc. from the University of Guyana. He is also a 2010 Fogarty’s Fellow in Research Practice & Program Evaluation from The Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami. Most of all he is a proud dad of two girls, 5 years and 11 months.
Fanny Oliphant
Fanny Oliphant has a degree in clinical psychology from Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico U.N.A.M. She completed a Language and Practice enhancement Program for International of Trained Psychologists in Calgary at the Calgary Counselling Centre. Fanny was born in Mexico and has been living in Calgary for more than 30 years. She has been working in the community for more than 25 years and is passionate about working with families, supporting men’s well-being, and promoting healthy relationships, which enhances their lives, as well as the lives of women and children in our community. Her experience includes individual, couples, and family counseling, including facilitating well-being groups with men, women, and adolescents. Fanny led the design and facilitation of the Men’s Well-Being Group curriculum as well as training and supporting community leaders as facilitators to conduct the well-being groups within their own communities.
Veronica Chirino (She/Her/Ella)
Veronica Chirino holds a Law Degree from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and a Master’s in International Community Development from the University of Calgary. With experience as a research assistant focusing on Latino men's well-being, she has been part of Alberta Men's Network for the past six years. Veronica is currently volunteering with Canadian Association of Children's Education in Pakistan (CACEP), Migrante Alberta and Alberta Assembly of Social Workers. Veronica aligns with an anti-oppressive approach and aims for social justice. She currently works in community development in Calgary, Alberta.
Aurelio Camilo Naraval
Aurelio Camilo “Jun” Naraval is a new settler in Calgary from the Philippines. Above all, he is a husband to Marissa and a father to three children – Carisse, Celille, and Justine. He has extensive leadership experience in the areas of public health, policy change, and program management. He dedicated more than 25 years as a medical doctor and public health epidemiologist in the field of gender, sexual and reproductive health and rights. Prior to his current role as Director of Programs and Public Policy with ActionDignity, he was the Executive Director of an international organization for South and Southeast Asia and parts of Africa on reproductive health and population dynamics. He is known for his strong advocacy on gender and reproductive health rights. His pioneering research on “Filipino Men and Domestic Violence,” which is a first in the Philippines, led to a movement of men called "Men's Responsibilities in Gender and Development" advancing gender equality. This practice has since become an ordinance in Davao City, Philippines.
Afghanistan Team
Dr. Attaullah Wahidyar
Dr. Attaullah Wahidyar is a transformational leader with over two decades of experience in designing and managing complex programs in development and crisis settings. He has led education initiatives in Afghanistan, serving as Deputy Minister of Education and holding key roles such as Senior Advisor, Director General, and Chief of Staff. He has also worked with organizations like the World Bank, UNICEF, Swedish Committee for Afghanistan leading education and capacity-building programs. Dr. Wahidyar's academic contributions span various critical areas, with notable publications such as "Quality Assurance in Afghan Higher Education: Achievements and Challenges" and "Peace Education in Afghanistan: Actors and Implementation.” He is a renowned scholar and speaker on education, peace, and development. He holds a Medical Doctor degree and an M.A. in International Relations, speaks multiple languages, and has received numerous national and international awards for his contributions.
Caribbean Team
Dr. Gabrielle Hosein
Gabrielle is Senior Lecturer at the Institute for Gender and Development Studies, University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus. She is the co-editor of two collections, Negotiating Gender, Policy and Politics in the Caribbean: Feminist Strategies, Masculinist Resistance and Transformational Possibilities, and Indo-Caribbean Feminist Thought: Genealogies, Theories, Enactments. She is co-Executive Editor of the journal, The Caribbean Review of Gender Studies, published since 2007 by the IGDS. Part of Caribbean feminist organising and men’s movement-building for twenty-five years, her current work focuses on masculinities, gender-based violence, adolescent sexualities, and Indo-Caribbean feminisms. She was Vice Chair of the Equal Opportunity Commission (2020-2023) and received the Trinidad and Tobago national award for the Development of Women (Gold) in 2022. Her blog, Diary of a Mothering Worker, has been published as a weekly newspaper column since 2012.
Dr. Peter Weller
Dr. Peter Douglas Weller is a Jamaican Community Clinical Psychologist who brings to his work more than thirty years’ experience as a Clinician and Consultant. He is a member and Past President of the Jamaica Psychological Society and a member of the Trinidad and Tobago Association of us Psychologists. He sits on the Council of Presidents and Elders of the Caribbean Alliance of National Psychological Associations (CANPA. He co-chairs their Committee on Disaster Mental Health and Psychosocial Support responding challenges such as COVID-19, Volcanic activity, and the hurricane seasons. He is the Founder and a former Chairman of the Caribbean Male Action Network (CariMAN) and represented CariMAN on the Board of MenEngage Alliance (Washington, D.C.). He sits on the Board of The Coalition Against Domestic Violence in Trinidad and Tobago. Dr. Weller is currently involved in developing an intersectional and lifecycle Caribbean Model for Behavioural and Cultural Change. His clinical focus is on Behaviour Change Interventions: Adult Psychotherapy, Group Psychoeducation, EAP and Public Health/ Community Interventions for Social Change.
Phillip Carlisle
Presently, Phillip Carlisle serves as Chair of the CariMAN (Caribbean Men’s Action Network) Regional Network and President of his Local CariMAN Chapter. Additionally, he is a member of the Board of Directors of the MenEngage Global Alliance (Network) and President of the Dominica Planned Parenthood Association (DPPA). As a trained counselor with over 30 years of experience in marital, gender-based violence (GBV), domestic violence (DV), and peer counseling, Phillip brings a wealth of expertise to the field. His advanced experience in GBV, DV, and gender mainstreaming is further enriched by his involvement with the Ministry of Gender, where he serves on the National Gender Advisory Board. He is also a childcare activist and foundational member of the Dominica NGO-Coalition for the Rights and Protection of Children & Youths. Further, Phillip Carlisle is a trained mechanical/body engineer, graduate of the Circle Ville Bible College, an ordained minister of religion, and pastor and administrator of the ‘Transformation Centre,’ an affiliate of the Global Congress-WBN network of churches.
Mexico Team
Dr. Manuel López-Pereyra
Dr. Manuel López-Pereyra holds a Ph.D. in Education from the University of York in the United Kingdom, a master's in research and development in Education from the Universidad Iberoamericana, and a degree in Psychology from the Universidad Latinoamericana in Mexico. Additionally, Dr. López-Pereyra completed a postdoctoral stay in the Anthropology, Diversity, and Coexistence Group at the Universidad Complutense in Madrid, Spain. His research interests include critical pedagogies, diversity, gender, sexualities, and narratives. Dr. López-Pereyra is a member of the National System of Researchers in Mexico. Additionally, he was appointed as an internal advisor for the Gender Violence Attention Committee at Ibero from 2020-2023. Dr. López-Pereyrateaches the bachelor's degree in Pedagogy and the Education and Psychology postgraduate programs. Additionally, he is part of the Critical Gender Studies Ph.D. program. Currently, he coordinates the postgraduate programs in Education His current research is titled "Critical Pedagogies and their Praxis: Masculinities, Affects, at the University Spaces in the Face of Gender Violence.”
Marina Gonzalez
In December 2012, Marina founded Casa Tonalá, an agency that promotes community projects aimed at social justice in Mexico through Narrative Practices. Along with Andrea Cabriales, they developed the concept of what is now Casa Tonalá Prácticas Narrativas. Originally an architect, she now works as a Narrative Therapist. She completed a Master’s in Community Work at UCIRED and facilitates programs in Narrative Practices, with a focus on preventing gender-based violence. She also works in community-based programs and Single Session Therapy. She helped initiate the Community Care Center for Single Session Therapy and coordinates projects that connect communities through solidarity work. She contributed to the translation of Michael White’s "Maps of Narrative Practice" and "The Continuing Conversation" with PRANAS Chile and co-authored a couple of books and articles. She was also an Academic Coordinator for the Master’s in Narrative Practices at UCIRED.
Mauricio Duarte
For over 8 years, Maricio has been involved in Narrative Practices and Narrative Therapy at Casa Tonalá (CT), participating in various courses, workshops, and diplomas offered by the organization. In 2019, they attended the in-person diploma course “Men in Gender Studies and Masculinities in Latin America” at UAQ in Querétaro. They are also a member of the volunteer therapist team at CT’s Community Care Center and have been part of the diverse men’s group for over 5 years, discussing diverse masculinities and working with men who use violence, focusing on issues such as gender, jealousy, and machismo. Currently, they participate in the “giving an account of oneself” exercise during the virtual Men’s Conversations held biweekly on Tuesdays, from 7:00 to 9:30 pm, working collectively. Mauricio is part of an audience that reflects and challenges patriarchy through these conversations.
Ismael Germán Ocampo Bernasconi
Ismael holds a degree in Sociology from the University of Alicante, a Master’s in Change Dynamics in Advanced Modern Societies from the Public University of Navarra, and is pursuing a PhD in Gender Studies at the University of Alicante. He has diplomas in Gender Studies from UNAM, Masculinities in Latin America from the Autonomous University of Querétaro, and a specialization in social research from FLACSO. He is trained in gender violence intervention through narrative practices and the CECEVIM model. A member of the Tejido Da’doe collective, he collaborates with Gendes A.C., Casa Tonalá, and Civium A.C. Since 2018, he has facilitated Casa Tonalá’s men’s group and has been a teacher, speaker, and workshop leader in Mexico and Spain. His research includes studies on pornography consumption, childhood learning of machismo, and intervention programs for male aggressors. He has published academic works and contributed to organizing the Latin American Meetings of Anti-Patriarchal Men.
Iván Salazar Mendiola
Iván holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Universidad Don Vasco, a Master’s in Family Therapy from the Faculty of Higher Studies Iztacala, UNAM, and is currently pursuing a PhD in Critical Gender Studies at Universidad Iberoamericana, Mexico City. Iván completed academic residencies at the Systemic Institute of Buenos Aires and the Systemic School of Argentina. Iván has been a speaker at national and international conferences on masculinities, reeducation approaches to working with men, systemic approaches, narrative practices, gender violence, and sex-gender diversities. Iván also teach courses and diplomas on gender perspectives, building non-violent relationships, and sex-gender diversities. Additionally, Iván participates in Casa Tonalá as a facilitator of a men’s group that seeks to challenge and rethink hegemonic masculinity practices from a systemic and postmodern perspective.
Diego de Santiago
Diego, from Xochimilco (meaning “the place where the flowers grow”), Mexico City, is a PhD student in Education at Universidad Iberoamericana. His research focuses on engaging male students in recognizing gender violence within universities, using affect theory and critical geography. He holds an MA in Social Anthropology, where he studied anarchist groups and urban social movements, and a BA in Visual Arts specializing in sculpture and contemporary art. Diego’s work explores how art and social sciences help understand how individuals perceive and relate to their realities, with a focus on how education shapes power relations through gender and sexual structures.
Dr. Monica Sesma-Vazquez (She/Ella)
Dr. Monica Sesma-Vazquez is a bilingual (Spanish/English) Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Social Work, University of Calgary and an accented Mexican-Mestiza immigrant cisgender woman, originally from Mexico City. She has been living in Mohkinstsis (Calgary) for 10 years in the traditional territory of the Blackfoot Confederacy, Treaty 7, and Metis region 3. Monica brings over 25 years of relational, anti-oppressive, decolonizing, and culturally relevant clinical, educational, and research practices focusing on social interactional patterns and dynamics that impact peoples’ mental health and wellbeing.
Nepal Team
Dr. Rita Dhungel
Dr. Rita Dhungel is presently residing on Coast Salish People traditional territory as an unwanted guest. Dr. Dhungel, a native of Nepal, works as an assistant professor at the University of the Fraser Valley's School of Social Work and Human Services in Abbotsford, British Columbia. Dr. Dhungel has been working with socioeconomic marginalized groups such as trafficking survivors, women living with HIV, and women experiencing domestic violence, both locally and internationally, using participatory action research as advocacy and transformative research methodologies. Dr. Dhungel is adamant that conducting social justice research can advance transformative effects on the individual and the community.
Dr. Bidur Dhungel
Dr. Bidur Dhungel is the Research Director at the Southwestern Centre for PhD Studies in Nepal supporting PhD students in their research. Dr. Bidur is also the Editor of the Journal of Advanced Academic Research (JAAR) which is published every six months. His higher education focused on Biology and Environment Science. He completed his Master and PhD from the University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan under the MEXT Scholarship and a Post-doc from the University of Turku, Finland under the Erasmus Mundus Scholarship. Dr. Dhungel is an expert at Policy Research Institute, and life member at Nepal PhD Association and Japan University Alumni Association Nepal (JUAAN), Kathmandu, Nepal. He is also a recipient of the Presidential Award by Nepal Government, Zoological Science Award and Fuji Award by Zoological Society of Japan.
Pakistan Team
Dr. Muhammad Ibrar
Dr. Muhammad Ibrar is working as Assistant Professor and Coordinator for the Master’s program in Social Work, in the Department of Social Work, University of Peshawar, Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan since June 2010. He did his PhD in Social Work, with the main focus on Health Services in Pakistan and PGD in International Environmental Law. He has done his Master in Social Work back in 2005 from the Department of Social Work, University of Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Before joining the University, he was working with Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and International Non-Governmental Organizations (INGOs) for the 4years and as a consultant for 1 year. He has vast and enriching experience of working at grass root level in most of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, FATA and Afghanistan.
Dr. Waqar Ahmad
Dr. Waqar Ahmadis an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science & International Relations and Director of the Office of Research, Innovation, and Commercialization (ORIC) at Qurtuba University of Science & Technology, Peshawar. He holds a Ph.D. in Political Science with a specialization in governance, focusing on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. His research interests encompass governance discourse, the intersection of religion and politics, the dynamics between religious organizations and secular formations, the role of religious political groups, and the relationship between religion and state-building, particularly from an Islamic perspective. He has authored numerous articles in reputable journals and has presented papers at several international conferences, including at McGill University, the University of Calgary, the China Institute of International Studies (CIIS) in Beijing, and the SASE 2024 conference at the University of Limerick, Ireland, as well as at many national conferences. His academic achievements have earned him prestigious awards and scholarships, such as the HEC Indigenous Scholarship, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs China Award, and the IRSIP Award. These accolades have provided him the opportunity to engage in academic endeavors at renowned institutions such as CIIS in Beijing and the School of Religious Studies at McGill University, Montreal, Canada
Adnan Ashraf
Adnan Ashraf is a dedicated professional with a Master's and M. Phil in Social Work, and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Social Work at the University of Peshawar, Pakistan. He is also certified in NGO Management. Presently, he serves as a Social Welfare Officer and adjunct lecturer in Sociology at the College of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the Paraplegic Centre Peshawar, offering comprehensive rehabilitation services for individuals with spinal cord injuries, post-polio paralysis, autism spectrum disorder and children with clubfoot. With a professional career over 13 years in government and social sectors as a social worker, child protection officer, and social welfare officer. His expertise spans child protection and welfare, public policy, social welfare, gender justice, post-conflict intervention, disability and social inclusion. He also has considerable experience in BSW/MSW field practicums supervision. Adnan has published 12 research articles. His recent accomplishments include certification in Early Childhood Development, a fellowship with the Native Youth Club for Climate Change, and certification in Qualitative Research Methods delivered by the Faculty of Social Work University of Calgary.
Dr. Aamir Jamal
Dr. Aamir Jamal is Associate Professor of International Social Development and Social Policy at the University of Calgary. He is an esteemed international scholar, researcher, and activist for gender justice, girls’ education, and women’s rights with a focus on the Global South. His work, which emerges from a strong social justice perspective, has informed policy and practice for national governments and international agencies, and inspired social movements. He takes a community-oriented approach towards his work, by integrating his knowledge of Pashtun culture into conversations about advancing girls’ education and women’s rights with men from Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Philippines Team
Dr. Ian Clark Parcon
Dr. Ian Clark Parcon is an Associate Professor in Philosophy at Ateneo de Davao University, Davao City, Philippines. He has an extensive involvement in gender advocacy which spans more than 20 years of giving gender related trainings to different sectors in the community and advancing gender fair policies. He also is currently active in research dealing with male involvement in feminism. He holds a doctorate degree in Philosophy from Ateneo de Manila University. He finished his Master of Arts degree in Applied Ethics from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway and Linköping University, Sweden under the Erasmus Mundus scholarship program. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief of the Social Ethics Society Journal of Applied Philosophy. His research interests and engagements also include multiculturalism, environmental politics, political theory, and democratic theory.
Dr. Melba Laguna-Manapol
Dr. Melba Laguna-Manapol, RSW is an associate professor and currently the Director of the Office of Strategic Management and Quality Assurance (OSMQA), of the Ateneo de Davao University, Philippines. Prior to her appointment as director of the OSMQA, she served as the Department Chairperson of the Ateneo Social Work Department. She is concurrently a member of the University Community Engagement and Advocacy Council and manages the implementation of the Healing and Recovery Program for Drug Surrenderers (HERDS), a project of the Center against Illegal Drugs (CAID) of the university. She is a PAASCU accreditor for Social Work and a member of the CHED Regional Quality Assurance Team (RQUAT) for the Davao Region. She is also a member of the Career Progression and Specialization Program-Credit Accumulation and Transfer System Committee (CPSP-CATS) of the Philippine Regulations Commission (PRC). As a Social Work educator, Dr. Manapol constantly engaged in research, engagement, and consultancy. Her research works include children and poverty studies, migration, gender and development, Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children (OSAEC) and evaluation studies. She led in the development of training modules for service providers on OSAEC, supported by Save the Children and development of course modules for students and faculty in handling OSAEC with World Hope International. She is part of the trainers’ pool on Gender Responsive Case Management (GRCM) and also led the team that worked on the integration of the GRCM in Social Work Curriculum in the Philippines, a project in partnership with the Gender Based Violence (GBV) unit of the UNFPA.
Dr. Leah Mae Jabilles-Evasco
Leah is an Associate Professor in the Social Work Program at Ateneo de Davao University, where she teaches and supervises undergraduate and postgraduate studies. Her engagements and research focus on women and children, gender advocacy, community development, and migration (internally displaced people and refugees). Her areas of interest include local development planning, outcome evaluation and research into vulnerable groups and sectors. Leah has also worked with refugees at the Thai-Myanmar Border during her internship program, for her Master’s thesis and the same engagement continues until today. Leah Mae Jabilles-Evasco is a recipient of the Australian Postgraduate Award of La Trobe University for her PhD. Her thesis is focused on Indigenous Social Work, particularly among Talaingod Manobos. She was conferred a PhD in Social Work and received the prestigious Nancy Millis Award. She also received the Women Leadership in Asia scholarship from the Ewha Institute for Leadership Development at Ewha Womans University in South Korea.
Aurelio Camilo Naraval
Aurelio Camilo “Jun” Naraval is a new settler in Calgary from the Philippines. Above all, he is a husband to Marissa and a father to three children – Carisse, Celille, and Justine. He has extensive leadership experience in the areas of public health, policy change, and program management. He dedicated more than 25 years as a medical doctor and public health epidemiologist in the field of gender, sexual and reproductive health and rights. Prior to his current role as Director of Programs and Public Policy with ActionDignity, he was the Executive Director of an international organization for South and Southeast Asia and parts of Africa on reproductive health and population dynamics. He is known for his strong advocacy on gender and reproductive health rights. His pioneering research on “Filipino Men and Domestic Violence,” which is a first in the Philippines, led to a movement of men called "Men's Responsibilities in Gender and Development" advancing gender equality. This practice has since become an ordinance in Davao City, Philippines.