SVRI Forum’s prestigious Young Professionals Programme is dedicated to nurturing the next generation of researchers and practitioners from LMICs. The highly competitive programme pairs new and emerging young professionals with experienced professionals. Our carefully chosen mentors help expand their mentee’s knowledge and skills base and provide expert feedback on their presentation ahead of the Forum, as well as the opportunity to network and engage with global experts! Eight promising young professionals have been selected for SVRI Forum 2026, representing Thailand, Vietnam, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Egypt, Nigeria and Bolivia.
MEET OUR MENTORS AND MENTEES
Mentor, Shruti Majumdar
Shruti Majumdar is a sociologist with over 15 years’ experience at the intersection of research and practice on violence against women and women’s economic empowerment. She is the Global Lead for Learning and Impact at the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women, where she works with civil society partners worldwide to strengthen knowledge and innovative solutions to end violence against women and girls. Prior to the UN Trust Fund, Shruti worked for six years at the World Bank, where she led several research initiatives on gender equality with government partners and civil society organisations in India, Bangladesh, Serbia, Uzbekistan, Indonesia and Jordan.
Mentee, Dayana Blanco Quiroga
Dayana Blanco Quiroga is an Aymara Indigenous woman from Bolivia whose work highlights the deep connections between ecological health, cultural identity, and women’s rights. She co-leads Mujeres del Lago, a grassroots collective of Indigenous women who work to regenerate wetlands and revive native aquatic plants, while creating safe, intergenerational spaces for women to strengthen leadership and resilience. Her research and activism examines how climate and environmental breakdown intensify risk of gender-based violence and displacement for women and girls in frontline communities; with Indigenous women at the center of restoration efforts.
Mentor, Prabu Deepan
Prabu Deepan is Tearfund’s Regional Director for Asia, providing strategic leadership across 15 countries and guiding partnerships that deliver holistic relief and development. He also leads Tearfund’s global work on gender-based violence and co-created Transforming Masculinities, an evidence-based model implemented in over 15 countries. With over 18 years of experience spanning gender justice, peacebuilding, economic empowerment, and community mobilisation, Prabu serves on the Advisory Board of the Imago Dei Fund and on the Board of the Prevention Collaborative. He is committed to advancing equity, inclusion, and faith-based approaches to social transformation.
Mentee, Gabriel Obiero
Gabriel Obiero is a public health policy specialist and Programme Lead at AGE Solutions for International Development. His work integrates gender-based violence (GBV) prevention into Nigeria’s climate adaptation strategies, with a focus on risks faced by indigenous women and LGBTQ+ communities in Sub-Saharan Africa. Using participatory risk mapping and survivor-centered advocacy, Gabriel has engaged over 200 community members across Osun and Benue States to strengthen GBV responses during climate crises. He also contributes to malaria, HIV, and climate resilience initiatives, promoting feminist and decolonial approaches; amplifying LMIC voices in global policy and advancing equity-driven solutions.
Mentor, Elisabet Le Roux
Elisabet le Roux is a Research Director at the Unit for Religion and Development Research (URDR) at Stellenbosch University in South Africa. She holds a Ph.D. in Sociology and as research and technical consultant has 18 years of experience, working on and leading projects in multiple country contexts across the world.
Mentee, Samaa Abdelhamid
Samaa Abdelhamid is a dedicated Policy Analyst at Synerjies Center for International and Strategic Studies. Abdelhamid brings experience from her work with governmental bodies, international organisations, and NGOs. Her research focuses on gender dynamics, social policy, and human rights, as well as on authoritarian regimes and their impact on society. With a solid foundation in policy analysis and practical experience in community development, she is committed to using her research to promote equitable policies and advocate for systemic change. Her work seeks to promote gender justice while advocating for the rights of marginalised communities.
Mentor, Lina Digolo
Lina Digolo is an epidemiologist with over 17 years of experience working across Africa and Asia as a technical expert in health systems strengthening, capacity building, research, and policy advocacy. Dedicated to bridging the gap between evidence and action, she has led and contributed to over 20 studies on violence prevention, parenting, and adolescent health, helping inform national guidelines, protocols, and policies. Lina has designed and led capacity-strengthening initiatives for parenting implementers, child protection officers, and GBV practitioners, and serves on several global technical advisory boards focused on ending violence against women and children.
Mentee, Dr. Sumbal Shahbaz
Dr. Sumbal Shahbaz is a public health researcher and educationist with over 10 years of experience in academia, health systems, and clinical practice. Her work focus on advancing global health, gender based violence, reproductive and adolescent health, through research, policy translation, and academic leadership. She has led and contributed to multiple research projects on women’s health, reproductive rights, violence against women, adolescent health, and health system capacity, helping inform health promotion campaigns, clinical practices, and academic curricula. She has also collaborated with global partners to initiate evidence-based health solutions for addressing equitable health challenges in the Global South.
Mentor, Heidi Stöckl
Heidi Stöckl is Professor on Public Health Evaluation at the Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich in Germany and honorary professor of epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Her research is focused on the epidemiology of intimate partner violence and human trafficking. With the Mwanza Intervention Trials Unit, she has conducted the first prevalence study on intimate partner violence during pregnancy in Germany. She also led a study on intimate partner violence among adult women in Mwanza, Tanzania. Currently, with icddr,b Bangladesh, she is investigating violence during pregnancy through a mixed methods design study.
Mentee, Soe Myat Htet
Soe Myat Htet is a consultant and researcher specializing in SGBV response system strengthening and resilience in conflict-affected and low-resource settings in Myanmar. Originally from a village in southern Myanmar, she is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Population and Sexual and Reproductive Health at Mahidol University, Thailand, as a CMB Scholar. Her research focuses on understanding help-seeking behaviors among women experiencing intimate partner domestic violence in Myanmar, using a mixed-methods approach. She is deeply passionate about advancing survivor-centered interventions and strengthening Myanmar’s SGBV response system.
Mentor, Sujata Tuladhar
Sujata Tuladhar is a senior adviser at the United Nations Population Fund, Asia-Pacific Regional Office, where she works to prevent and respond to gender-based violence across the region. With more than 19 years of experience, she has led efforts to support women and girls affected by violence, both in everyday life and during crises. Sujata has worked in several countries—including the Philippines, Pakistan, and Nepal—where she has helped governments and organisations strengthen their support systems for survivors of violence. Before her current role, she also worked with the Asian Development Bank on gender equality initiatives.
Mentee, Mi Truong
Mi Truong is a Master’s student in International Relations at the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam, focusing on the intersection of technology, gender equality, and governance. She has experience as a Programme Assistant at MSD United Way Vietnam, contributing to initiatives on child protection, digital safety, and inclusive education. She also supported STEMherVN, a project encouraging girls to pursue STEM careers, strengthening her interest in how technology shapes both opportunities and risks for women and girls. Her current research examines technology-facilitated gender-based violence in Southeast Asia, addressing the gap in Global South perspectives. Mi seeks to amplify regional insights in global discourse on AI governance and gender justice.
Mentor, Dr andy Gibbs
Dr Andy Gibbs is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Exeter, and also has honorary appointments at the South African Medical Research Council, and University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. His work primarily focuses on young people, and how we can work with them to prevent intimate partner violence in complex settings.
Mentee, Nazerke Alpysbai
Nazerke Alpysbai is a 19-year-old from Kazakhstan, whose academic interests lie in understanding how language, narrative, and power intersect within society, driving her to explore media, politics, and public discourse through both research and multilingual development. Her long-term goal is to contribute to global policy and diplomacy, particularly within international institutions.
Mentor, Melissa Alvarado
Melissa Alvarado is a passionate advocate for ending violence against women and children. In her role with UN Women she supports governments and NGOs to develop accountability systems, influence policies and laws, and improve direct services to end violence and advance gender equality. Her passion grew from direct service with survivors, through crisis intervention and advocacy. Years of experience with UN agencies and international NGOs allows her to leverage the important interplay between national commitments and actual practice. Melissa’s approach brings together health, police, social welfare, justice and education disciplines to build smarter systems for violence prevention and response, and improve accountability.
Mentee, Samhitha Reddy
Samhitha Reddy is an Indian lawyer and author. Her career is driven by an interest in the exploration of international and comparative law at the intersection of human rights, gender equality, sustainable development, and climate action, through a multidisciplinary lens. She has worked with a host of institutions including multiple international organisations, civil society organisations, national and international NGOs, judges, advocates, law firms, and think tanks. Samhitha has relevant work and educational experience in Geneva, London, New York, Cambodia, Nepal, Thailand and India.
