Our founder and Co-Executive Director, Natasha Latiff joined the World Economic Forum Forum of Young Global Leaders, Class of 2024. 80 exceptional leaders from around the world will be her peers, mentors, and connectors for the next 3 years of her personal and professional growth. 

The Forum of Young Global Leaders is an accelerator for a dynamic community with the vision, courage, and influence to address global challenges. Members include innovators, entrepreneurs, educators, activists, artists, and more, all united in their commitment to making a positive impact.

Natasha is using this incredible platform to build her leadership at the cross-roads between business, human rights and civil society. For Strategic Advocacy for Human Rights (SAHR), she hopes to scale our Gender Justice Accelerator Pilot Program so that we can accelerate the fulfillment of our mission: to empower individual change makers at the cusp of transformative law and policy change to end gender-based violence.

SAHR Team members Sara Bergamaschi and Catalina Dominguez won a 6-month scholarship with the Grace Accelerator Program, which will help them develop their ideas and continue working on sustainable and accountable projects while they are based in Germany. The project is funded by the European Social Fund, with financial support from the European Union and the state of Berlin.

The Grace Berlin Accelerator provides 16 female founders with a €2,200 scholarship per person and a six-month full-time accelerator program in Berlin. It emphasizes business growth and personal development through various program formats, including personalized coaching and mentoring.

Grace represents Female Entrepreneurship, Empowerment, and Diversity. It supports women with entrepreneurial aspirations and those in leadership roles, helping them develop and expand their ideas. Through initiatives like the Grace Berlin Accelerator and Grace Scale, Grace creates and delivers focused programs for both emerging female entrepreneurs and those in the growth stage, fostering a dynamic community where successful businesses and future female leaders can thrive together.

In September, our founder and Co-Executive Director, Natasha Latiff, spoke at the Inspiring Peacemakers Series launch event. The discussion asked,  ‘Where and how do we start our journey as young peacemakers in our violent world today?’ Natasha shared her response and elaborated on her peacebuilding journey and legal work experience in Afghanistan and Singapore. 

Natasha was accompanied by Ahmed Abdullahi, a Somali-Canadian peacemaker and mediator in the Horn of Africa. They were the first guest speakers to join in the ‘Inspiring Peacemakers Series’.

This series took place in Geneva, Switzerland, at the Geneva Graduate Institute in partnership with the Nagulendran Philanthropy Alliance, the Centre on Conflict, Development, and Peacebuilding (CCDP), and the Fab IHEID. The aim of this series is to provide a platform for students to engage in insightful discussions with leading figures in the field, like Natasha

Our founder and Co-Executive Director Natasha Latiff joined the 12th edition of the Geneva PeaceTalks to celebrate the International Day of Peace and Interpeace’s 30th Anniversary on 19 September 2024. This year’s theme was “The Future of Peace.” One of 9 global speakers who participated in the series of inspirational talks at the Palais des Nations, Natasha shared her work in peace-building. 

The Geneva PeaceTalks is a global initiative that uses storytelling as a tool to build peace and inspire action. It was organized by the United Nations Office at Geneva, Interpeace, the Geneva Peacebuilding Platform, the Swiss Government and with the City and Canton of Geneva, Mirabaud and Nagulendran Philanthropy. 

SAHR was recognized in the Apolitical Foundation's list of "78 Political Leadership Entrepreneur Organizations to Watch, 2024". We are honored to be selected as part of the Political Leadership Entrepreneur Network (PLEN).

What has SAHR got to do with women in politics? Civil society leaders regularly enter politics – and vice versa – often with a view to integrate human rights in government and legislation. Last year, we started to conceptualize our role, as a civil society group, in combating the dwindling participation of women and other marginalized groups in politics. 

With the support of our advisor, Romana Bruderer-Schwab, we articulated our role. As a human rights organization, SAHR is optimally positioned to monitor and report violence and discrimination committed against women and other marginalized groups entering political office or exercising their capacities in office. We don't do politics, but the right of political participation is a human right and must be characterized as such. We hope to bring a legal and human rights law perspective to the right of political participation, especially for the under-represented in the Global South and East world.

Online violence against women in politics is not just “part of the job.” It is a systemic barrier that silences voices, limits participation, and reinforces harmful stereotypes. To address this growing challenge, SAHR, together with Apolitical Foundation and The Accelerator for Gender Based Violence Prevention, co-organized the event “Resilient Public Spaces: Pathways to Mitigate Online Violence Against Women in Politics” on December 10.  This conversation marked the closing of the 16 Days of Activism Campaign, underscoring the urgency of collective action.

The event featured an inspiring panel with Marie-Simone Kadurira, Vania Pigeonutt, and Catalina Domínguez, our Legal and Program Officer, who shared critical insights on:

The devastating impact of online abuse, which affects women’s mental health, erodes confidence, and deters participation in politics.

The role of human rights frameworks such as CEDAW, which recognize online violence as a form of gender-based violence and discrimination.

The panel underscored the importance of collective action from civil society, governments, and digital platforms to create inclusive and resilient public spaces where women can lead fearlessly. 

At SAHR, we are committed to making this vision a reality through advocacy for stronger policies and systemic reforms that empower women in politics.

SAHR was able to participate in the Basel Peace Forum 2025 because of the receipt of an organisational development (OD) grant from the Nagulendran Philanthropy Alliance, a philanthropic fund founded by Dorothy and John Nagulendran from Singapore. This generous grant underscores their commitment to building a more peaceful world by supporting the next generation of peacemakers.

The OD grant provides flexible, unrestricted funding, empowering SAHR to strengthen its operations and advance impactful programming, including its flagship Gender Justice Accelerator (GJA) program. Now in its third year, the GJA is a transformative mentorship initiative supporting emerging civil society leaders dedicated to amplifying the voices of marginalized and under-represented communities. The program equips these leaders with strategies, tools, and techniques to advocate for and support survivors of gender-based violence effectively.

“As a Singaporean who has worked in conflict and crises, I am proud that SAHR is partnering with the Nagulendran Philanthropy Alliance,” said Natasha Latiff, Founder and Director of SAHR. “SAHR’s gender justice fellowship program is accompanying some of the most impressive peacebuilders from all over the world, who are working strategically and tirelessly to create a more inclusive and equitable society. This grant will support us to visualize our work widely so that we can support more civil society leaders.”

Board Chairwoman, Kelsi Kriitmaa, further emphasized, “As a female-founded organization, SAHR embodies the critical role women play in shaping sustainable law and policy reforms. This type of funding enables us to invest in our team, programs, and ultimately the communities we serve.”

This year, Natasha Latiff shared her insights about SAHR’s work and the future of gender justice.

On February 19, Catalina Dominguez and Sara Bergamaschi wrapped up an incredible journey of both personal and professional growth, guided by the amazing team at Grace Accelerator Female Entrepreneurship Program.

For six months, they had the privilege of joining an incredible network of women founders, coaches, and mentors who empowered them as a team, brought out the best in them, and most importantly, helped them perfect SAHR’s storytelling

As a result, the SAHR Team delivered a powerful five-minute pitch, shedding light on sexual and gender-based violence as an urgent and global issue. They presented the SAHR Gender Justice Accelerator Program as a solution, sharing its mission, vision, and, most importantly, the stories and impact numbers achieved alongside the fellows!

In the end, it was an emotional and unforgettable moment to receive the Audience Award, a recognition that reaffirms that SAHR is on the right path and that people are connecting with its purpose and the change it is striving to create.