Who We Are
The Women's Justice Initiative is a Guatemala-based organization dedicated to combating gender inequality and ending violence against indigenous girls and women in rural communities.
Our Mission
The Women’s Justice Initiative improves the lives of indigenous Guatemalan women and girls through education, access to legal services and gender-based violence prevention.
Kate Flatley
Executive Director
Kate is a lawyer with over fifteen years of experience working for non-governmental organizations developing and implementing projects and conducting research in the fields of women’s rights, access to justice, and public health.
Kate Flatley
Executive Director
Kate is a lawyer with over fifteen years of experience working for non-governmental organizations developing and implementing projects and conducting research in the fields of women’s rights, access to justice, and public health. Kate holds a B.A. in Anthropology from Yale University and a J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law. She serves on the Board of Directors of WINGS and is a Member of the Virginia State Bar.
She is motivated on a daily basis by the extraordinary WJI team who is deeply committed to the challenging work of advancing women's rights and ending violence against women and girls in Guatemala.
Elvia Raquec
Programs Director
Elvia is a social worker by training with an emphasis in Development Management, having graduated from Rafael Landívar University. She has experience implementing programs that promote human rights in indigenous communities and has completed training in other Central American countries.
Elvia Raquec
Programs Director
Elvia is a social worker by training with an emphasis in Development Management, having graduated from Rafael Landívar University. She has experience implementing programs that promote human rights in indigenous communities and has completed training in other Central American countries. She is currently in charge of the implementation of the Women's Rights Education Program, the Adolescent Girls Program, and the Community Advocates Program to promote social change in Guatemala.
Elvia is motivated by her personal experiences as an indigenous woman and seeks to contribute her knowledge and experience. She has been part of WJI from the beginning and believes in continuing to dream and imagine a Guatemala free of violence.
Viviana Patal
Legal Director
Viviana Patal joined WJI in 2013. As WJI’s Legal Director, she is responsible for designing and implementing the Legal Services Program and oversees the organization’s team of lawyers and paralegals.
Viviana Patal
Legal Director
Viviana Patal joined WJI in 2013. As WJI’s Legal Director, she is responsible for designing and implementing the Legal Services Program and oversees the organization’s team of lawyers and paralegals. Viviana provides legal counseling to WJI’s program participants on a range of civil and criminal matters including violence against women and girls, family law, and property rights. Viviana is Maya Kaqchikel and advises WJI’s clients in Kaqchikel, ensuring that women are able to access and navigate the legal system in their native language.
Viviana is a lawyer with extensive experience working in the fields of human rights, women’s rights, criminal law, labor rights, and family law. Viviana holds a Law Degree from the Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala and is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Criminal Law. In 2019 Viviana was chosen to participate in Centroamérica Adelante, a prestigious leadership development program that supports high impact leaders that drive change in Central America.
Gabriela Palacios
Administrative and Human Resources Director
Gaby joined the WJI team in 2021 leading the implementation of administrative and human resources strategies. She has a degree in Industrial Psychology with a Master’s Degree in Management and Strategic Development of Human Talent, both from Rafael Landívar University. She has more than 10 years of experience...
Gabriela Palacios
Administrative and Human Resources Director
Gaby joined the WJI team in 2021 leading the implementation of administrative and human resources strategies. She has a degree in Industrial Psychology with a Master's Degree in Management and Strategic Development of Human Talent, both from Rafael Landívar University. She has more than 10 years of experience working in non-profit organizations such as the Paiz Foundation for education and culture, ICEFI, TECHO - Colombia and TECHO - Guatemala. Her mission at WJI is to ensure transparency, making this space the best place to work.
She is motivated by working so that women know their rights and can exercise them, and she is proud to be part of this team that is made up of powerful and hard-working women from whom she learns every day and whom she admires.
Andrea Tock
Director of Impact and Learning
Andrea joined WJI in January 2020 as the Monitoring and Evaluation Coordinator. She is responsible for leading WJI’s Impact and Learning efforts for the constant improvement of the organization in terms of program development and the response provided to women.
Andrea Tock
Director of Impact and Learning
Andrea is responsible for leading WJI’s Impact and Learning efforts for the constant improvement of the organization in terms of program development and the response provided to women. In charge of directing the research activities of WJI, in addition to supporting the Development and Communications team in writing reports and writing grant proposals. Andrea is a Political Scientist and Master in Gender Studies. Andrea has a strong ethical commitment to social justice, especially to the rights of women, girls, and diverse sexual and gender identities.
Nora Worthington
Director of Development and Communications
Nora Worthington joined WJI in 2022 as the Director of Development and Communications. She holds a Master’s Degree in Sustainable Development, International Policy and Management from SIT, and an undergraduate degree in Latin American Studies from Fordham University. Nora has worked within the non-profit industry in multiple countries,...
Nora Worthington
Director of Development and Communications
Nora Worthington joined WJI in 2022 as the Director of Development and Communications. She holds a Master’s Degree in Sustainable Development, International Policy and Management from SIT, and an undergraduate degree in Latin American Studies from Fordham University. Nora has worked within the non-profit industry in multiple countries, and is passionate about the unique impact of social sector organizations. She finds WJI's comprehensive, community-based methodology inspiring, and is thrilled to dedicate her time to resourcing WJI's work through diverse partnerships and opportunities for strategic advancement.
Ingrid Camacho
Senior Franchise Manager - PepsiCo
As Senior Franchise Manager of PepsiCo in Guatemala, Ingrid is in charge of the markets in El Salvador and Nicaragua. Ingrid develops and leads the strategy of the beverage business, establishing long-term plans, investment plans, and innovations for the company. Additionally, she leads the relationship with CBC, the...
Ingrid Camacho
Senior Franchise Manager - PepsiCo
As Senior Franchise Manager of PepsiCo in Guatemala, Ingrid is in charge of the markets in El Salvador and Nicaragua. Ingrid develops and leads the strategy of the beverage business, establishing long-term plans, investment plans, and innovations for the company. Additionally, she leads the relationship with CBC, the bottler in the country. Previously she worked in strategy and finance for Latin America at PepsiCo. Before joining PepsiCo in 2006, she worked at Grupo Aval S.A de Colombia. Ingrid supports other NGOs such as Operation Rescue and Safe Passage in Guatemala, focused on improving education for children at risk. Ingrid has studied at the Wharton School and Kellogg University executive schools and graduated in Finance and International Relations from the Universidad Externado de Colombia.
Sonia Domínguez
Humanitarian Program Lead - USAID/Guatemala
Sonia Domínguez is the Program Development Specialist for the Food for Peace Program in the US Agency for International Development in Guatemala. She has been working for USAID since 1998 in several chapters including food security, democracy, disaster preparedness, and poverty reduction.
Sonia Domínguez
Humanitarian Program Lead - USAID/Guatemala
Sonia Domínguez is the Program Development Specialist for the Food for Peace Program in the US Agency for International Development in Guatemala. She has been working for USAID since 1998 in several chapters including food security, democracy, disaster preparedness, and poverty reduction. She holds a degree in Organizational Psychology and a master's degree in Development and Decentralization from Universidad del Valle de Guatemala. Sonia is also the founder of Orejitas de Amor/Ears of Love, a Foundation to support children born with congenital malformations and hearing loss. She is a Fellow of the eighth class of the Central America Leadership Initiative and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network. She is married and has two little girls.
Will Durbin
Senior Policy Advisor - Independent Consultant
Will works in international development; his work has spanned climate and environmental policy for an air pollution consulting firm, poverty measurement at the World Bank, and global health innovation at the US Agency for International Development. He is currently a consultant to a government in the Caribbean on...
Will Durbin
Senior Policy Advisor - Independent Consultant
Will works in international development; his work has spanned climate and environmental policy for an air pollution consulting firm, poverty measurement at the World Bank, and global health innovation at the US Agency for International Development. He is currently a consultant to a government in the Caribbean on a range of development and policy issues. Will has strong ties to Guatemala, initially traveling there as a teenager with a group from his hometown that has a “sister” community in the Quiché region. Since then he has returned to Guatemala around 20 times. Will graduated with a BA in Ethics, Politics and Economics at Yale and holds a Master’s in Public and International Affairs from Princeton.
Clara Ferraro
Partner and Head of Investor Relations - Tiger Global Management
Clara is the Co-Head of Investor Relations and Analyst Recruiting at Tiger Global Management, LLC, an investment firm based in New York City. Tiger Global deploys capital globally through its public equity funds and private investment partnerships.
Clara Ferraro
Partner and Head of Investor Relations - Tiger Global Management
Clara is a Partner and Co-Head of Investor Relations at Tiger Global Management, LLC, an investment firm based in New York City. Tiger Global deploys capital globally through its public equity funds and private investment partnerships. Before joining Tiger Global in 2006, Clara was an Investment Banker at Allen & Company, LLC, where she focused on Internet and Media investments. Clara earned a BA in Sociology from Yale University.
Tess Hellgren
Deputy Legal Director - Innovation Law Lab
Tess Hellgren is an attorney and Deputy Legal Director at Innovation Law Lab, where she litigates cases that defend the right to asylum, fight systemic injustice in the immigration courts, and seek to uphold the rights of visa applicants and their families. She also creates legal resources to support innovative models of massive collaborative representation.
Tess Hellgren
Deputy Legal Director - Innovation Law Lab
Tess Hellgren is an attorney and Deputy Legal Director at Innovation Law Lab, where she litigates cases that defend the right to asylum, fight systemic injustice in the immigration courts, and seek to uphold the rights of visa applicants and their families. She also creates legal resources to support innovative models of massive collaborative representation. Tess is passionate about using legal tools alongside advocacy, technology, and organizing to advance immigrants' rights. Before becoming an attorney, Tess worked as an analyst at RAND Europe and a research associate at the Harvard Kennedy School. She holds a J.D. magna cum laude from Harvard Law School, an M.Sc. in Migration Studies from the University of Oxford, and an A.B. summa cum laude from Harvard University.
Eric Knight
Senior Trader - Jane Street Capital
Eric Knight is a Senior Trader at Jane Street Capital, a quantitative trading firm headquartered in New York City. Having been with the company for more than 20 years, he has experienced trading a wide range of assets, including ETFs, ADRs, options, and cryptocurrencies. Having a mother who...
Eric Knight
Senior Trader - Jane Street Capital
Eric Knight is a Senior Trader at Jane Street Capital, a quantitative trading firm headquartered in New York City. Having been with the company for more than 20 years, he has experienced trading a wide range of assets, including ETFs, ADRs, options, and cryptocurrencies. Having a mother who emigrated from Guatemala as an early adult, he's very drawn to the work of WJI and is looking forward to taking part in continuing their efforts. He lives on Long Island with his wife, daughter, and twin toddlers.
María Isabel Mayorga
Research Fellow - Population Council
María Isabel Mayorga is a Research Fellow at the Population Council’s Guatemalan office. In this role she identifies and nurtures strategic partnerships related to Social and Behavioral Science Research (SBSR) and the International Program’s strategic partnerships model. She actively engages in meetings with partners in Guatemala and the...
María Isabel Mayorga
Research Fellow - Population Council
María Isabel Mayorga is a Research Fellow at the Population Council's Guatemalan office. In this role she identifies and nurtures strategic partnerships related to Social and Behavioral Science Research (SBSR) and the International Program's strategic partnerships model. She actively engages in meetings with partners in Guatemala and the Mesoamerica region, focusing on issues such as migration, gender-based violence prevention, child marriage, and adolescent pregnancy. Additionally, she supports research impact strategies by building relationships with civil society organizations and government stakeholders in Guatemala and Mesoamerica. Prior to this role, María Isabel spent 15 years in private sector-funded non-profits, where she led programs promoting education, leadership, and collaboration for democracy and economic development. Her research interests lie in addressing challenges faced by indigenous women and girls in politics and the public sector. With a background in industrial engineering and business administration, she is fluent in Spanish, English, and German, and has been part of the Aspen Institute's Global Leadership Network since 2013.
Sergio Melgar
Executive Vice President and CFO - UMass Memorial Health
Sergio was appointed Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”) of the UMass Memorial Health in January of 2014. For the past 31 years, Mr. Melgar has been working with health care and academic institutions. Prior to his appointment in 2014, he participated in the acquisition and...
Sergio Melgar
Executive Vice President and CFO - UMass Memorial Health
Sergio was appointed Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”) of the UMass Memorial Health in January of 2014. For the past 31 years, Mr. Melgar has been working with health care and academic institutions. Prior to his appointment in 2014,
he participated in the acquisition and subsequent integration of the health care network of Catholic University in Chile into CHRISTUS Health, a U.S. Catholic health care system serving as CFO of International Operations. For eight years, he served as the Senior Vice President for Health Affairs and CFO at the University of Kentucky overseeing all financial aspects of the clinical operations of the university hospitals and medical group, its commercial health insurance company, and its health colleges. For 10 years prior to relocating to Kentucky in 2004, Mr. Melgar served as the CFO of UCLA Health, the clinical and medical teaching arm of the University of California Los Angeles. Between 1981 and 1987, he served at Arthur Andersen & Co. and between 1987 and 1992 he served at Ernst and Young. Mr. Melgar received his B.A. in
Economics from the University of California Los Angeles.
Katie Newman
Partner and Senior Tax Counsel - Apollo Global Management
Katie Newman is Senior Tax Counsel at Apollo Global Management in New York, specializing in tax matters with respect to Apollo’s private equity funds, their investors and their investments worldwide.
Katie Newman
Partner and Senior Tax Counsel - Apollo Global Management
Katie Newman is a Partner and Senior Tax Counsel at Apollo Global Management in New York, specializing in tax matters with respect to Apollo’s private equity funds, their investors and their investments worldwide. Outside of her role as a tax advisor, she is an active member in the Apollo Women Empower (AWE) Network and serves on the Board of Directors of Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance. Prior to joining Apollo in 2010, Katie practiced at the law firm of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP. Katie graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University and received a JD from Georgetown University Law Center. Katie also serves on the Board of Directors of Chances for Children, a non-profit in The Bronx, New York, which provides clinical intervention services for families with young children to strengthen family bonds, and she serves on the Vestry of Saint Barnabas Church in Greenwich, Connecticut.
Lidia Oxi
Co-Executive Director - MAIA
Lidia, a Maya-Kaqchikel leader, serves as the Co-Executive Director of MAIA, an organization dedicated to uplifting Maya communities in Guatemala. She has designed and implemented culturally attuned, high-impact projects focusing on the education and support of girls, fundraising, and developing strategic partnerships. Her impressive portfolio includes membership in...
Lidia Oxi
Co-Executive Director - MAIA
Lidia, a Maya-Kaqchikel leader, serves as the Co-Executive Director of MAIA, an organization dedicated to uplifting Maya communities in Guatemala. She has designed and implemented culturally attuned, high-impact projects focusing on the education and support of girls, fundraising, and developing strategic partnerships. Her impressive portfolio includes membership in esteemed councils and boards, such as the OYW Indigenous Council Global Council of Community Centric Fundraising (CCF), Coordination Council of Hub Guatemala, the Board of Directors of the Maya Economic Development Corporation, and she is a fellow of the Vital Voices Engage Program, Gratitude Network, and Global Governance Forum. She is the MAIA team lead for the MIT-SOLVE 2020 Global Challenges in the Learning for Girls and Women category with the project Amplify her Voice: Empowering Mayan Girls. In 2019, she represented MAIA in Abu Dabhi to receive the Prize for Best High School of the Americas - Zayed Sustainability Prize. She participated in numerous panels and interviews, including the University of San Carlos of Guatemala, and the XIV Women's Leadership Congress. Lidia’s advocacy efforts have been highlighted by the Honnold Foundation and Guatemala.com. Lidia’s national and international experience and fluency in four languages allow her to build strategic partnerships to reduce inequality and proactively advocate for Maya communities.
Brian Regan
General Partner - Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe
Mr. Regan is a General Partner of Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe (“WCAS”), where he focuses on healthcare investments and is a member of the Firm’s Management Committee.
Brian Regan
General Partner - Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe
Brian is a General Partner of Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe (“WCAS”), where he focuses on healthcare investments and is a member of the Firm’s Management Committee. He serves on the Boards of Directors of US Acute Care Solutions, US Anesthesia Partners, US Radiology Specialists, Springstone and the Health Management Academy. Mr. Regan has also been involved in current and former WCAS investments Asurion, Aptuit, Laurus Labs, Ardent Health Services, Bausch & Lomb, Select Medical, MultiPlan and Ruesch International. Before joining WCAS in 2002, he worked in the investment banking division of Merrill Lynch. Mr. Regan graduated from Yale College.
Gabriela Roca
Director of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability - Corporación AG
Gabriela Roca is the Director of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability of Corporación Aceros de Guatemala, where she oversees the legal, communication, and relationship management of the Corporation. She was a founding partner of the firm QIL+4 ABOGADOS, where she spent nine years providing legal and consulting services to energy project developers and banking entities to finance projects in the electricity industry in Guatemala.
Gabriela Roca
Director of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability - Corporación AG
Gabriela Roca is the Director of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability of Corporación Aceros de Guatemala, where she oversees the legal, communication, and relationship management of the Corporation. She was a founding partner of the firm QIL+4 ABOGADOS, where she spent nine years providing legal and consulting services to energy project developers and banking entities to finance projects in the electricity industry in Guatemala. She is currently active in multiple associations working on the implementation of ILO Convention 169 by the Guatemalan government. She is a founding member and Vice President of the Guatemalan Chapter of the Vance Center for Women in the Profession Program (WIP) – Transforma Abogadas en Guate (local name). Gabriela has a Master in Laws (LLM) from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and graduated as an attorney at Universidad Rafael Landivar.
Abigail Ford Winkel
Dept. Obstetrics & Gynecology - NYU School of Medicine
Abigail Ford Winkel (Abby) is an obstetrician-gynecologist in New York City. She is Associate Professor and Vice Chair for Education and Residency Director in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at New York University School of Medicine and an attending physician at Bellevue Hospital which is the oldest public hospital in the country and the flagship of New York City Health + Hospitals.
Abigail Ford Winkel
Dept. Obstetrics & Gynecology - NYU School of Medicine
Abigail Ford Winkel (Abby) is an obstetrician-gynecologist in New York City. She is Associate Professor and Vice Chair for Education and Residency Director in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at New York University School of Medicine and an attending physician at Bellevue Hospital which is the oldest public hospital in the country and the flagship of New York City Health + Hospitals. A native New Yorker, Abby graduated Yale College with a BA in English Literature and did her medical degree and residency at Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons/New York Presbyterian Hospital. Her academic work focuses on narrative medicine, using literature and reflection to enhance humanism, physician wellness and burnout, and graduate medical education. She lives in the West Village of New York City with her husband Adam and two daughters, Charlotte and Sophie as well as their dog named Cookie. Being involved in WJI is a real pleasure, and a natural extension of her interest in the well-being and rights of women around the world.
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