Who We Are
Origins
The Oxford Initiative was awarded 501(c)(3) public charity status in April of 2020. Early partnerships and collaborations include the International Human Rights Law Association Oxford, the Oxford Global PeaceTech Project, RAND Corporation, UN Women Zimbabwe, Centre for Peace and Democracy (Belfast, Northern Ireland), Estácio de Sá University, Rio de Janeiro, Lotic.ai (diagnostic tools), the UNESCO Chair Program, and student editorial fellows and interns from the University of Oxford, Wellesley College (Albright Institute), Imperial College London, University of California Los Angeles, University of Southern California, University of Michigan, and University of Hong Kong. Initial seed funding for the Global Women’s Narratives Project was provided by the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs.
Vision
To engage the well-known power of storytelling to celebrate well-being, resilience and dignity in our shared experiences as women. To witness one another’s stories of joy, meaning, values, and trauma as a moral act that lights the path for women who will follow. To celebrate women’s personal and collective power through storytelling—one woman, one story at a time. To cross boundaries of academia, policy, and activism for the greater good. To create a database archive of thousands of narratives worldwide to inspire and influence policy in war, health, law, and human rights. To grow organically by partnering in a wide variety of joint projects on the topics we prioritize. To build a thoughtful and supportive community of scholars, policymakers, and activists working for inclusion and change.
Executive Board
Dr. Lyn Boyd-Judson
Chair, Oxford Initiative for Global Ethics and Human Rights; International Human Rights Law MSt, University of Oxford; Former UNESCO Chair; Founder, Global Women's Narratives Project; Lecturer in Narrative Medicine, USC Keck School of Medicine.
Dr. Patrica Owens
Professor of International Relations, University of Oxford, and Director of the Leverhulme Research Project, Women and the History of International Thought and is a Co-Investigator on a Danish Council for Independent Research project.
Dr. Vahid Nick Pay
Lecturer in International Politics at the Diplomatic Studies Programme, University of Oxford; Member of the Management Committee at the Centre for International Studies Department of Politics and International Relations, University of Oxford.
Ms. Asil Sidahmed
Strategic Advisor for Advocacy and Member of the Ethics Committee at Médecins Sans Frontières Belgium; Founder and Research Fellow, Sana’a Center for Strategic Studies, Yemen, MPhil in International Development, University of Oxford.
Our Community
Global Women’s Narratives Project
Dr. Lyn Boyd-Judson, GWNP Founder and Executive Director, Head of LA team, Advisory Board
Dr. Evelyne Tauchnitz, Special Advisor on Peace Technology, Oxford Global PeaceTech
Andrea Malin, Advisor and director of conflict journalism program
Dr. Teodora Corina Hasegan, Senior Editor for Global Women's Narratives
Moreblessing Takura Madzikatire, Co-head GWNP Zimbabwe team, officer of NPRC, Zimbabwe
Kimberly Motley, Special Advisor on Afghanistan, Legal issues, Advisory Board Member
Sultana Talfadar, Special Advisor on Human Rights, Queen's Counsel, UK Barrister London
Tanvi Kodali, Co-Director of Education, Harvard University MA program in education, formerly intern to GWNP LA office
Ishita Krishan, Wellesley College, Managing Editor and Creative Design
Lorraine Kuimba, GWNP Zimbabwe Senior Fellow, human rights and peace practitioner
Sakae Takushima, Special Advisor on Econ Development, Partner Monitor Capital
Thembela Lubimbi, Co-head GWNP Zimbabwe team, lawyer for women and children's rights
Liz Farkas, Imperial College London, Director of Education and Training
Lana Bridi, Editor, health and medical narratives, UCSD Medical School
Soroush Ershadifir, Editor, health and medical narratives
Previous Team Leaders
The current women’s narratives team is grateful for those who have given their time and vision in the past. Dedicated teams of volunteers built our project as a labor of love, and many individuals worked devotedly across several years to make the project a reality. In particular, the project would not exist in its current form without the vision and efforts of Isabella Carr, Mae McAleavy, Sydney Ahmed, Victoria Friend, Sarah Windham, Noor Alwani, Lena Perenchio, Brooke Helstrom, Julianne Lewis, Jenna Mazza, Ellen Murray, and Anthony Momo.