Gina Barbieri

“For peace to flourish we need the participation of women – women representing their communities in the peace process, women at the table as mediators, women crafting solutions. We have to work with communities to grow that structure of representation, because involving women is essential if we wish to recognize the aspirations of the entire community.”

Gina Barbieri is a human rights lawyer, mediator and former Ombudsperson for the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) network, the first person to ever serve in the role. She is a specialist in conflict resolution and inclusive accountability, having also managed the problem solving unit of the World Bank Group’s independent accountability mechanism (the CAO), responsible for responding to community complaints about the social and environmental impact of private sector projects.

In post-conflict countries, where access to land and resources are critical as communities rebuild, Gina is committed to ensuring human rights are respected, justice is accessed and issues resolved around private sector development. She’s especially passionate about increasing women’s involvement and promoting women’s leadership in community development.

She is originally from South Africa.