Rouzeh Eghtessadi

Executive Director

SAfAIDS Regional

Rouzeh Eghtessadi is a public health specialist and human rights defender, currently serving as Executive Director of SAfAIDS, which operates in the SADC region. She has served over 24 years in Africa, within social justice, clinical and academic sectors. In recent years, Rouzeh’s professional pursuits pivoted gender and SRHR justice, within African civil society. She has a passion for advancing the rights of populations whose freedoms are stifled. She is a strategist, innovator and enthusiast of community cohesion; who voluntarily serves on several platforms to address human and social development challenges; and has authored various articles and publications.

Event Schedule

DAY 1

18 July 2023

DAY 2

19 July 2023

Start Time	End Time	Session	Description	Action
06:30 pm EEST	08:00 pm EEST	Walking the Talk: Equitable partnerships for movement-building in Africa Side Event M-Hotel - Ball Room	In this learning event, funders and African feminist organizations will meet in a conversation on funding practices, successes and challenges to achieve gender equality Read More In this learning event, funders and African feminist organizations will meet in a conversation on funding practices, successes and challenges to achieve gender equality and SRHR in Africa. Participants will gain insight into feminist approaches to fundraising and grant-making. Donors will have an informed understanding on how to move towards more equitable and collaborative partnerships with grassroots movements. The ambition is that this conversation will result in an Op-ed article that raises the questions and solutions that emerged from the side event. Organizer: SIDA Read Less Speakers Tsitsi Midzi Head of Partnerships and Development Urgent Action Fund – Africa Torbjörn Pettersson Assistant Director General and Head of Department at Sida Swedish International Development Agency (Sida) Yvette Kathurima Manager, Equity, Gender & Youth Field Building Lead Children’s Investment Fund Foundation Lisa Mossberg Coordinator for Sweden's Global Strategy for Gender Equality Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) Rouzeh Eghtessadi Executive Director SAfAIDS Regional

Start Time	End Time	Session	Description	Action
02:30 pm EEST	04:00 pm EEST	Positive Masculinities in Gender Transformative SRHR: Engaging Men and Boys Concurrent Room MH 2-1	This session will explore, celebrate and critique policy and program interventions from Eastern and Southern Africa that work to promote male engagement as an essential Read More This session will explore, celebrate and critique policy and program interventions from Eastern and Southern Africa that work to promote male engagement as an essential tool in improving and sustaining sexual and reproductive health and gender equality. The session will offer a learning space for participants to discuss and boldly strategize together on the issue of masculinities within SRHR. Panelists and participants will be invited to share their perspectives and expertise on strategies and models that have effectively disrupted the status quo and advanced SRHR and gender justice – contributing to establishing anti-patriarchal masculine identities. Session format: Skills building Organized by Sonke Gender Justice /MenEngage, UNAIDS, UNFPA, UN Women, WHO, Communication for Development Foundation Uganda, Plan International Finland/Uganda, SAfAIDS & Q Initiative Read Less Speakers Jude Thaddues Njikem Regional SRHR Coordinator Sonke Gender Justice Lucy Nyambura Assistant Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning officer Q-Intitiative C.B.O Nankunda Babihuga Executive Director Communication for Development Foundation Uganda (CDFU) Anne Githuku-Shongwe Regional Director UNAIDS Grace Ageno Gender & Inclusion Coordinator Plan International Uganda Rouzeh Eghtessadi Executive Director SAfAIDS Regional