OUR TEAM

The Board of Directors is made up of 11 specialists from various disciplines who contribute to GIRE’s strategic vision and governance. Their knowledge of different issues, along with their conviction and commitment to women’s human rights, give GIRE’s work a unique perspective.

The current Board of Directors is made up of: Marta Lamas (President), Gerardo Barroso, Roy Campos, Genaro Lozano, Francisca Pou, Karla Iberia Sánchez, Cecilia Suárez, Roberto Tapia, Gabriela Warkentin and José Woldenberg.

Rebeca Ramos Duarte is a lawyer from the Free School of Law (Escuela Libre de Derecho), with a Masters in Laws from the Iberoamerican University. She started working at GIRE in January 2012 as coordinator of the Public Policy Advocacy area and in March 2020 assumed the role of Executive Director. Previously, she was a parliamentary advisor and was part of the working group for constitutional reform on human rights. Rebeca was also the General Coordinator of the Legal Center for Human Rights and has participated in various publications. In May 2024, she was recognized by TIME magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world for her work in favor of reproductive rights. When the patriarchy falls, she wants to open a bookstore and drink coffee.

Frania Colmenero holds a law degree from Universidad Anáhuac (Xalapa) and a Master of Laws with a specialization in public law from University College London (UCL). Before GIRE, she worked for 15 years in public institutions in legal, international cooperation, and strategic planning areas. In recent years, she worked on developing strategies and planning criteria in social security institutions, mainly on issues related to law and public health. She also has teaching experience at the undergraduate level. When the patriarchy falls, Frania will travel the world to venture on a culinary journey.

The Administration and Accounting Area is in charge of designing GIRE’s internal policies, taking into account the well-being of the organization and each one of its members. Safety, optimal work facilities and conditions and the proper functioning of computer equipment are some of its priorities.

It is also responsible for exercising the budget, including punctual compliance with our suppliers and collaborators; with donors, and with Transparency and Money Laundering laws. GIRE ‘s account statements are audited by one of the leading global accounting firms – PriceWaterhouseCoopers – with results of full compliance with legal and tax requirements that make the organization’s work transparent.

Maricela Monroy has Public Accountant from the Instituto Politécnico Nacional (IPN) and studied the specialty of Management, Leadership and Finance at IPADE Business School. Before GIRE, she worked for 20 years in various OSC´S in defense of human rights and gender perspective as Administration and Finance Manager. When the patriarchy falls, she will open a typical Mexican food restaurant, where she will be the chef.

The Communications department oversees continuous content creation to inform the general public about reproductive rights and violations of the same faced by women in Mexico. The department serves as the organization’s link to the outside world through campaigns and other communication strategies that are developed with specific objectives.

Communications has, in many cases, garnered a collective empathy with women whose human rights were violated, thus promoting their access to justice through wide-spread dissemination.

Brenda Rodríguez has doctoral studies in Political Science and Sociology from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). She also received a Bachelor’s in International Relations at the UNAM, a Masters in Women’s Studies from the Autonomous Metropolitan University (UAM) and a Diploma in Advanced Studies in Social Sciences and Gender from the Complutense University of Madrid. Before GIRE, Brenda was a researcher and policy analyst and published several essays on citizenship and gender. When the patriarchy falls, she will be a rock singer and feminist wellness coach for women ages 40+.

The Case Documentation and Litigation department promotes women’s exercise of their reproductive rights and accompanies them in their search for justice when their rights have been violated by the State.

The Documentation and Litigation team are constantly traveling throughout Mexico to different communities, which allows them to generate a relationship of trust with the people they accompany.

Accompaniment may include psychological, medical or legal support, depending on what each individual or family needs.

Melissa Ayala has a law degree from the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México and a Masters degree from the Harvard Law School. She also has studies in gender-sensitive governance at the Instituto Tecnológico de Monterrey’s School of Government. Before joining GIRE, Melissa worked at the Unidad de Prevención y Combate al Acoso Sexual del Consejo de la Judicatura Federal. When the patriarchy falls, she will open a bookstore café in Oaxaca and (finally) learn to make pottery.

Institutional Development is responsible for securing the resources necessary for GIRE to fulfill its mission and objectives. The team ensures that resources are assigned to each department so that they can carry out their work; the team also generates reports so that donors know how their support is being used. Additionally, the department oversees the individual donor program and network of individuals who support GIRE’s work.

The Director of Institutional Development also leads the design of the organization’s work plan, its implementation, monitoring and evaluation.

The Public Policy Advocacy department permanently monitors the regulations and policies related to reproductive rights in Mexico and designs strategies to promote changes in accordance with the highest human rights standards while working to avoid setbacks at the federal and state level. Strategies include technical assistance to legislators, issuing recommendations to different authorities and preparing alternative reports for international human rights committees.

This department also follows up on comprehensive reparation processes for victims of reproductive rights violations, including measures of non-repetition.

Francisco Cué has a degree in Political Science and Public Administration from the National Autonomous University of Mexico, and has several diploma courses in lobbying, legal and regulatory production and analysis. He joined GIRE in 2017. Francisco has also been coordinator of legislative monitoring and political intelligence in different consultancies dedicated to public affairs and legislative advice, especially in public health. When the patriarchy falls, Francisco will dedicate himself fully to woodworking.

The Research team systematizes public information from sources such as official surveys and statistics, and those obtained through requests for access to public information. The data is then compared to internal information from GIRE-accompanied cases for reports detailing the status of reproductive rights in Mexico.

In this department, specialized reports are elaborated on GIRE’s priority issues, which are then distributed among decision makers, opinion leaders, the media, academics and specialists with the goal of generating dialogue, disseminating and raising awareness for the State’s debt to Mexican women. Each report contains GIRE recommendations for various authorities.

Veronica Esparza has a law degree from the Escuela Libre de Derecho of Puebla, and a Master’s degree in amparos and constitutional law from the Universidad Iberoamericana, Golfo Centro. She also has a PhD in human rights from the Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia of Spain. She joined GIRE in 2018 as researcher. As of December 2021 she assumed the Research Coordinator position. Previously, Verónica worked as independent researcher and her papers has been published in specialized journals. Also worked for 11 years in the National Human Rights Commission, where she held various positions. When the patriarchy falls, she wants to renovate deteriorated houses into incredible houses.

GIRE provides recent graduates with the opportunity for professional development and the acquisition of in-depth knowledge of strategies for the promotion and defense of human rights.

The fellowship program has included a diverse range of graduates in law, public policy, international studies, and human rights who bring important skills and knowledge to different departments.