Meet the Women, Forces of Change

Adriana Bernacchi

PhD in Biological Sciences, expert in the non-proliferation of biological and chemical weapons, and independent consultant for the OAS Inter-American Committee against Terrorism.

Aimee Therese Faye

Senior Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration (DDR) Officer currently serving with the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH).

Arianna Pedraza

Young Colombian leader and creator of Río Adentro in the 1st edition of UNLIREC’s GenerAcción Paz program.

Carina Solmirano

Head of the Arms Trade Treaty Secretariat with 20 years of international security experience, specialized in disarmament and non‑proliferation.

Carla Álvarez

Professor and researcher at IAEN in Ecuador, specialized in security and violence, with a feminist and regional perspective.

Carmen van Dijk

Deputy Director of Security Policies at the Directorate of National Security of the Republic of Suriname. National Focal Point for the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap.

Catalina Vera

Alternate Representative at the Mission of Chile to the OAS. She leads the work on hemispheric security, cybersecurity, transnational organized crime, arms control, and gender issues.

Cecilia Olliveira

Investigative journalist on drug trafficking and violence in Brazil. Founder of Fogo Cruzado and author of How a Militiaman Is Born (2025).

Claudia Garcia Guiza

Political Affairs Officer at the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA). She leads the United Nations Register of Conventional Arms (UNROCA) and the UN Report on Military Expenditures (UNMILEX).

Constanza Carrasco

Mexican specialist in gender and human rights. Advocacy Coordinator at Intersecta, a feminist organization for equality.

Delfina García Hamilton

Women, Peace and Security Governance Coordinator at UN Women for the Americas and the Caribbean, with more than 15 years of experience in gender, inclusion, and human development.

Erica Brown

Detective and specialist in ballistics and forensic chemistry with the Jamaica Constabulary Force. Speaker and advocate for community initiatives on armed violence prevention.

Folade Mutota

Co‑founder of WINAD, leading small arms control initiatives in the Caribbean centered on women’s rights and leadership.

Gisela Luján Andrade

Founder and Director of Perú por el Desarme, a civil association that addresses the risks of autonomous weapons systems and promotes a culture of peace in Latin America.

Gordina Hector-Murrell

Director of Cyber Security in Antigua and Barbuda and technical expert on cybersecurity and cybercrime. Member of the Women in Cyber network.

Hazel Villalobos Fonseca

Technical Manager and Coordinator of the Think Tank at the Foundation for Peace and Democracy (FUNPADEM), and member of the international Stop Killer Robots campaign.

Ivonne Garcés-Almeida

Director of Human Rights and Peace at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility of Ecuador. She leads the development of Ecuador’s 2025–2029 Women, Peace and Security Plan.

Jasmin Louisy

M&E Officer for the implementation and impact of disarmament-related treaties and conventions in Guyana, within the Ministry of Home Affairs. Focal Point for the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap.

Jennifer Bethel

Director of Research and Development at the Ministry of National Security of The Bahamas. Leads the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap and works on the Women, Peace and Security agenda.

Jennifer Chox Ixmatá

Young Guatemalan leader and Co-founder of ASODI. Participant in the 1st edition of UNLIREC’s GenerAcción Paz program.

Josefina Reynoso Chicón

Director of the Center for Security and National Defense Studies at Funglode, specialist in security and defense.

Julia Elizabeth Rodríguez Acosta

Salvadoran diplomat and Minister Counsellor at the UN, specialist in disarmament, cybersecurity, and international security.

Juliana Moreira De Aguiar

Journalist at the Fogo Cruzado Institute in Brazil and participant in the 1st edition of UNLIREC’s GenerAcción Paz program.

Julieta Arnau Arroyo

Country Director of MAG in Peru and the Northern Triangle, specialist in arms management, disarmament, and armed violence reduction.

Karla Paula Reyes Allpoc

Young Peruvian leader, founder of the Palenque Collective, and participant in the 1st edition of UNLIREC’s GenerAcción Paz programme.

Katherine Aguirre

Researcher at the Igarapé Institute and coordinator of AMASSURU — the Women’s Network on Security and Defense in Latin America and the Caribbean. GENSAC focal point.

Lucía Centellas

Executive Director of Esfuerzos de Mujeres Bolivianas, expert in gender, peace, security, and disarmament.

Luciana Vázquez

Consultant at CICTE-OAS and director of WENS, specialist in biosafety and biosecurity.

Maria Eugenia Villarreal

Member of the Steering Committee of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) and Regional Coordinator of SEHLAC.

Martha Mariana Mendoza Basulto

International Relations Officer at OPANAL, Mexican specialist in disarmament, international security, and gender.

Marysol González Hormiga

Professional at the National Institute of Health, expert in public health, biosafety, biosecurity, and international security.

Maura Altagracia Martínez Paulino

Director of the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office against the Trafficking, Carrying and Illegal Possession of Firearms in the Dominican Republic. Specialist in criminal law and constitutional justice.

Mayda Alejandra de León Wantland

Vice Minister for Violence and Crime Prevention in Guatemala, with over 20 years of experience in arms control and violence prevention.

Meylán Ramos

Founder of MAREA in Mexico, promotes youth-led peace and creative disarmament through art.

Migdonia Nohemy Ayestas

Professor at UNAH and coordinator of the National Violence Observatory, specialist in security and violence prevention.

Milagros Winkelried

Lawyer specialized in international security, disarmament, and arms control. Legal Specialist at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Peru, coordinating the national mechanisms CONAPAQ and CONATIAF, and the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1540.

Nadine Bushell

Assistant Director of Projects at CARICOM IMPACS, with over 20 years of experience in development and project management.

Pamela Huerta Bustamante

Peruvian investigative journalist, founder of Al Margen and member of Amazon Underworld.

Pier Angelli De Luca Maciel

Head of the Conventional Arms Section at the OAS, Brazilian specialist in disarmament and public security.

Renee Adimoolah

International Affairs Coordinator at Trinidad and Tobago’s Ministry of National Security. Specialist in international and regional security, with a focus on CARICOM affairs and transnational organised crime.

Ruth Carey Lewis

Consultant in violence prevention, community security, and justice reform in the Caribbean. She has been responsible for developing Jamaica’s protocol to address firearm-related incidents in schools for UNLIREC, under the SALIENT Project.

Sandra Cabrera

Police Commissioner and Head of the School Police Division of Honduras. Specialist in community-based prevention and in the prevention of violence against children and adolescents.

Sofía Rojas

Young Costa Rican leader, founder of Contando Ovejas and participant in the first edition of UNLIREC’s GenerAcción Paz programme.

Tamiris de Jesus

Project and Partnerships Office Manager at the Sou da Paz Institute. Specialist in project management, resource mobilization, and strategic planning focused on social impact and sustainability.

Wendy Caishpal Jaco

Salvadoran lawyer, founder of Ahuachapán sin Barreras and Humanium Metal ambassador, recognized for activism on disability rights and survivors of armed violence.