Elly PRADERVAND, Switzerland

WWSF Founder/President

Elly has been active for the past 30 years in the field of public education for development and advocacy for women’s and children’s rights. In 1991, Elly founded the Women’s World Summit Foundation. She created and leads various WWSF initiatives, including the annual Prize for Women’s Creativity in Rural Life and three annual mobilization campaigns to increase knowledge and empowerment. She co-created World Rural Women’s Day (15 October, 1995), launched the World Day for Prevention of Child Abuse (19 November, 2000), and in 2017, introduced the Prize for Rural Women Movements. Elly is the main UN representative at the UN in Geneva and in New York.

Gulzar SAMJI, P. Ag., Canada

Vice President WWSF

Founder and Director of the Canadian Institute for Community Development and the Environment, Gulzar is an independent consultant and educator based in North Vancouver, B.C. She is a former member of the Canadian Tribunal for Human Rights. Gulzar is also a Board Director at Farm Radio International, supporting food security in rural Africa. She was appointed NGO Representative to Canada’s delegation for the UN Preparatory Meetings for the 4th World Conference on Women, and has trained government and NGO delegations from countries including Indonesia, China, and India. She holds a B.Sc. in Agriculture and a post-graduate diploma in Animal Physiology and Biochemistry.

Jyoti Macwan, India

WWSF Board Member

Elected General Secretary of SEWA with 12 lakhs women in 9 states, making it the single largest union of informal sector workers in India. SEWA is a trade union registered in 1972 of poor, self-employed women workers. Jyoti is Vice President of International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC-GENEVA); is a member of the Executive Committee of International Union of Food, Agriculture, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Worker’s Association (IUF) and Member of the Executive Bureau – International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC-ASIA/PACIFIC).

Jyoti received the Vyavsaylakshi Mahila puraskar (Award for promoting Women’s employment); the Special Leadership Award given by Gujarati Catholic Samaj.