Our Panelists
Silvana Vanadia
(Italy)
Born in Milan, Italy, she is a State Attorney in the District Attorney’s office for the State of Milan. In her duties, she acts for the Italian Government in hundreds of public, civil and criminal proceedings. She has been chief of the legal office of the “Italian Regulatory Authority for Energy, Networks and Environment”. She is also a Professor of Public Law at “Università degli Studi di Milano”.
Kumudini Wickremasinghe
(Sri Lanka)
Justice Kumudini Wickremasinghe, born in Sri Lanka, has had a distinguished judicial career. Since December 1, 2020, she has served as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka, where she oversaw digital hearings during the COVID-19 pandemic and political unrest. She was also a member of the Special Presidential Commission of Inquiry on Political Victimization (2021-2022). Additionally, she has contributed to key legislative assessments and reforms. Since August 2022, she has also served as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Fiji, specializing in civil, criminal, labor, and commercial law.
Carmen Meza
(Peru)
Carmen Meza Ingar is a distinguished lawyer, Doctor of Law, and professor at the National University of San Marcos in Lima, Peru. She has been honored five times with the Scientific Merit Award for her groundbreaking legal research and is the author of fourteen books, including a 2007 publication on women’s history. As a UN consultant, she contributed to the implementation of the 1979 Convention on Women’s Rights and participated in global conferences in Nairobi and Beijing. Her work has taken her to all five continents, where she has represented FIDA, the UN, and various universities.
Shahista Salimkhan Inamdar
(India)
Dr. Shahista Salimkhan Inamdar is an esteemed legal scholar and Associate Professor at Navjeevan Law College, India, with nearly 14 years of experience in teaching and research. She holds a Ph.D. in Law and specializes in Business Law, Human Rights, Family Law, and Feminist Jurisprudence. Dr. Inamdar has guided multiple Ph.D. scholars and has participated in over 70 seminars globally. She has authored 30 research papers and six books, earning several awards, including the Real Super Women Award (2020) and Karmayogini Awards (2023). She has represented India at the UN Nairobi Summit and an event in Moscow, gaining international recognition.
Amina Suzanah Agbaje
(Nigeria)
Amina Suzanah Agbaje is a prominent legal practitioner and human rights activist, currently serving as the Country Vice President/National President of the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) Nigeria. She earned her LL.B from Ahmadu Bello University in 1990 and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1991. In 2021, she completed her LL.M from Baze University. Amina is a principal partner at Lexsuites Law Firm and a life member of FIDA, where she has held various leadership roles. As a passionate humanitarian, she has led numerous advocacy campaigns on gender, children’s rights, and vulnerable communities across Nigeria.
Diana Lorena Vanegas Cajiao
(Colombia)
Diana Lorena Vanegas Cajiao is a distinguished lawyer from Cali, a devoted mother and wife, and a proud graduate of the University of San Buenaventura. She holds a specialization in Administrative Law from the University of Cauca and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree at Universidad Libre of Colombia.
With a solid 20-year career at the CVC (Valle del Cauca Regional Environmental Authority), where she served as a Specialized Professional and Chief Legal Advisor for four years, Diana has been a key figure in public administration. Her expertise extends to the Government of Valle del Cauca, where she has held positions such as Advisor to the Governor’s Office, Deputy Director of Procurement, and Director of Legal Affairs. She is currently the Manager of the Special Administrative Unit for Cadastre of Valle del Cauca.
In addition to her extensive public sector career, Diana is a lecturer at the University of San Buenaventura and an expert in administrative law, environmental law, territorial planning, state contracting, and legal defense.
Olufunmi Oluyede
(Nigeria)
Her Royal Highness Olori Olufunmi Oluyede is a distinguished transnational commercial attorney and founding partner of TRLPLAW Solicitors & Advocates, with over 36 years of legal expertise. A member of Nigeria’s Honorable Body of Benchers, she is a passionate women’s rights advocate and a dynamic speaker at global conferences, including the United Nations.
Olufunmi collaborates with organizations like the International Bar Association and the African Women Lawyers Association. She is a life member of FIDA International, currently serving as its Regional Vice President for North America, with a longstanding commitment to advancing women’s rights globally.
Sheela Anish
(India)
Sheela Anish, a senior advocate in the Karnataka High Court and the Supreme Court of India, founded and chairs AIFWL with a vision to unite women lawyers and promote constitutional rights in India. Since 2007, she has worked to empower women, especially in areas such as child welfare and protection of women workers in sectors such as technology. AIFWL became affiliated with FIDA soon after its inception, and Sheela was elected FIDA’s Global President in 2014, excelling in international forums and organizing the 35th Convention in India. Her leadership has expanded AIFWL to 12 states, driving social change for women’s rights.
Andrea Chavarro
(Colombia)
Lady Andrea Chavarro is a lawyer graduated from Universidad Santiago de Cali, with a specialization in Legal Institutions of Social Security in Colombia from Universidad Nacional de Colombia and in Labor Law and Social Security from Universidad Javeriana. She has a solid background in the field of social security and in the management of human teams, standing out for her commitment to community service and social welfare.
Throughout her career, Lady Andrea has combined her legal knowledge with a deep empathy towards people’s needs, which has allowed her to generate a positive and significant impact in society.
Querin Jaramillo
(Colombia)
Lawyer from the University of Santiago de Cali, specialist in Labor and Social Security Law. Conciliator and candidate for a Master’s degree in Public Management from the same university. She serves as a corporate legal advisor and is a partner at the law firm Jaramillo Lawyers Consultants S.A.S. Additionally, she works as a legal advisor for the Secretariat of Finance of the Candelaria Mayor’s Office.
Her professional career is distinguished by a deep commitment to the profession, reflected in a high level of professionalism and a strong ethical sense.
Laura Nyirinkindi
(Uganda)
Laura Nyirinkindi is human rights lawyer who has worked in the field of gender, governance, rule of law and development for over 22 years. She holds a Masters of Studies degree from Oxford University in International Human Rights Law and a Bachelor of Laws Degree from Makerere University of Kampala, Uganda.
Laura has been the Director of Pro Initiatives Agency, a consultancy firm she founded, from 1999 to date. Laura is a member of the Human Rights Council Working Group on Discrimination Against Women.
Yurany Andrea Ordoñez
(Colombia)
Yurany Andrea Ordoñez Rengifo is a Psychologist, International Master in Personal Development, Self-Esteem and Emotional Intelligence, and Master in Family Counseling. Currently, she is the Secretary of Women, Gender Equity and Sexual Diversity of Valle del Cauca. She has more than 15 years of experience in the public sector, as well as more than 17 years of community work. She worked for 5 years in Spain as a psychotrader, supporting stock market investors in the Daxlovers Academy.
Thursday, November 7th
Carolina Ríos Villota
(Colombia)
Carolina Ríos is a law graduate from Universidad Santiago de Cali with a specialization in Constitutional Law and a Master’s in Public and Contractual Law from Universidad Santo Tomás, Bogotá. She is currently the President of the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) for the 2021-2024 term, where she leads initiatives that positively impact women and girls globally. Carolina also serves as a legal advisor in the private sector, focusing on human resources, data protection, and compliance. Additionally, she is active in her Catholic community and competes in long-distance triathlons with the TRICALI club.
Richard Dolmetsch
(USA)
Dr. Richard Dolmetsch is a professor of Neurobiology at Stanford University, where his laboratory has specialized in researching orphan diseases. Dr. Dolmetsch was the Director of Neurobiology at the pharmaceutical company Novartis, where he led the team that developed medicines for migraines, multiple sclerosis, and orphan diseases. He served as President and Chief Scientific Officer of uniQure, a biotechnology company that developed the first genetic treatment for hemophilia, and he is the founder of Tempero Bio, a biotechnology company dedicated to developing treatments for addiction.
Genevieve Vaughan
(USA)
Genevieve Vaughan, a leading semiotician, feminist and philanthropist, became involved in the semiotic movement and the Italian left before becoming an influential feminist activist. Her theory of the ‘Gift Economy’ highlights the value of women’s unpaid work and encourages a logic of giving, based on maternal care, opposing the traditional competitive economy. Vaughan has founded international feminist networks and is the author of influential books promoting an economy centered on care and compassion.
Margarita Rosa Tirado
(Colombia)
Margarita is a chrysalis traveling through life’s transformations, rooted in sacred connections and feminist teachings. As a woman on the path to becoming fully human, she seeks love and simplicity, immersing herself in diverse cultures and languages. She is committed to unlearning, healing and supporting others through art, activism and near-death transitions. Margarita creates Chacanas and mandalas as part of her personal decolonization, with the goal of harmonizing thought and feeling, while exploring the depth of spirit and the interconnectedness of life and imagination.
Diana Valderrama
(Colombia)
Diana Valderrama is a renowned journalist with over 17 years of experience. She began her career in FM Radio, covering major events like September 11. After studying in Washington, she worked as a correspondent for NTN24 and RCN TV in Paris and Argentina, covering elections and attacks. At Caracol TV’s “Los Informantes,” she produced impactful stories. Currently, she produces and coordinates investigative journalism for French TV channels, exploring Colombia and crafting narratives for international audiences, known for her dedication to powerful storytelling.
Diana Marcela Bustamante
(Colombia)
A delegated ombudswoman for the orientation and counseling of victims of the armed conflict, university lecturer. doctor of humanities, human rights and HIV, lawyer, graduate in literature. Expert in public international law, transitional justice, differential approach, and gender perspective.
Ifeyinwa Awagu
(Nigeria)
Ifeyinwa Awagu is currently engaged in research, media advocacy and public speaking on Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 5, 8 and 10. She was the Director of the Institute of Humanities, Pan-Atlantic University, Lagos Nigeria. She has been a Branch Chairperson of FIDA (Nigeria) Epe Branch and General Secretary of FIDA (Nigeria) Lagos State Branch. She is passionate about the empowerment of women and the girlchild and offers professional counselling services to women and families in her spare time.
Marian Darlington
(Ghana)
Marian Darlington is a lawyer called to the Ghana bar and a women’s rights advocate. As a lawyer, she prioritizes work focused on women property rights and seeking justice for women who experience abuse. As an advocate, her work focuses on women’s reproductive rights and health.
She’s Harvard trained and certified in BIOETHICS, a skill she uses in running a fertility agency in Ghana where assisted reproductive technology is currently thriving. Her goal is to see the advancement of women’s reproductive and sexual rights irrespective of where a woman finds herself.
Karena Caselles
(Colombia)
Assistant Magistrate of the Constitutional Court of Colombia. Lecturer in social rights. She worked as an assistant magistrate in the Supreme Court of Justice, judge and researcher in social rights. She is a founding member of the Colombian Association for Labour Studies.
Ángela Cuevas de Dolmetsch
(Colombia)
Ángela Cuevas de Dolmetsch FIDAs Honorary Life President PhD in Women’s Studies from London University. Leader of the campaign to establish the Quota Law in Colombia. Author of El Matriarcado y la Ética del Cuidado, la Ginecocracia Colombiana (2024).
María Teresa Garcés Lloreda
(Colombia)
Lawyer from the Universidad Javeriana, with a diploma of in-depth studies in Public Law from the Sorbonne University and a Diploma in Gender and Public Policy from Flacso, Argentina.
She was Rapporteur of the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice, Magistrate of the Contentious Administrative Court of Valle del Cauca, Vice-Minister of Communications, Magistrate of the National Electoral Council, Constituent of 1991, District Ombudsman of Bogotá. She has been a professor at several universities and researcher at CINEP. As an advisor in the Office of the High Commissioner for Peace, she was part of the Regulatory Commission on the Elements of Crimes and the Rules of Procedure and Evidence of the International Criminal Court at the United Nations. She has been an advisor to UNICEF and the International Office for Migration. She is a member of the assembly of the Colombian Commission of Jurists.
Krishna Santhakumari
(India)
Dr K.Santhakumari is the current state President at KERALA INDIA. She has written 8 books on law and women and she is a renowned activist. She was the former vice President of FIDA and she has addressed three FIDA Conferences in Nigeria, Bahamas and Kuwait. She is also the former President of Indian Women Lawyers.
Karol Martínez Silva
The Mayor of Guadalajara de Buga, Valle del Cauca
The Mayor of Guadalajara de Buga, Valle del Cauca, is a Business Administrator and Specialist in Internal Auditing. With 10 years of experience in the public sector, she has held various positions within the Buga City Hall, including Administrative Director, Secretary of Culture, Acting Mayor, Head of the Internal Control Office, and Secretary of Institutional Development. These last three roles were in an acting capacity, which allowed her to gain deep insight into the operations of the territorial entity she now leads. She is the first woman to hold the highest office in Guadalajara de Buga in over 25 years.
She was elected as the Chief Spokesperson for the Pacific Region in the Network of Women Mayors for Democracy and Peace of the Colombian Federation of Municipalities, representing the departments of Valle del Cauca, Cauca, Chocó, and Nariño. In this position, she has raised her voice against political violence targeting women and violence against children.
A mayor with great social awareness, her top priority is investing in the community. She believes that societal transformation is achieved by providing opportunities in education, sports, and culture.
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