Financing the Gender Transformative Agenda

Astou MBENGUE is a community leader and the head of data collection at the Senegalese Federation of Women in Informal Settlements (FSH). A champion of women’s economic empowerment and an exceptional community mobilizer, Astou has made community service a lifetime commitment. Through data collection initiatives, awareness raising campaigns and advocacy, Astou mobilizes women’s movements and vulnerable communities in informal settlements in the fight against recurrent floods and advocacy for the improvement of the living conditions of communities in these resource-deprived areas.

Astou believes that data, especially actionable data on the access of communities to sanitation, health and essential services, is a powerful instrument for the advocacy towards an improved inclusion of their needs in policies and budgets. As such, Astou supervises and coordinates various data collection initiatives, notably the flagship “Know Your City” campaign which brings together women around community mapping using innovative technology, focus group discussions and mass advocacy campaigns.

Astou is certainly a woman of many hats, she is a “Bajenu Gox” (community health godmother), a women’s savings group lead and a municipal councilor in the municipality of Djeddah Thiaroye Kao, Pikine, where she uses community data to influence policymaking and budgeting.

Rina Prasarani exemplifies resilience and advocacy as a blind woman, single mother, and disability rights activist. She also advocates for the rights of persons with disabilities, contributing to transformative policies such as Indonesia’s ratification of the CRPD and Law No. 8 of 2016 on Persons with Disabilities. As 2nd Vice President of the Indonesian Association of Women with Disability (HWDI) for Advocacy and Awareness Raising, Rina has advanced disability-inclusive policies, emphasizing equitable resource allocation and the inclusion of women with disabilities in decision-making. Supported by the International Budget Partnership, she promotes disability-inclusive budgeting and addresses systemic barriers, particularly health and governance, to ensure no one is left behind. Her leadership and tireless efforts drive systemic change, empower individuals, and embody the vision of inclusivity championed by the SPARK program.

Julisa Tambunan (she/they) is the Deputy Executive Director and Head of Partnerships and Learning at Equal Measures 2030 (EM2030), a global coalition of civil society organizations advocating for women’s rights and gender equality through the power of data. She co-leads the EM2030 Secretariat, driving partnerships, data-driven advocacy, and grant making, ensuring their work is grounded in shared learning, collaboration, and collective impact.
For nearly two decades, Julisa has worked alongside marginalized communities in low-resource settings worldwide, holding power to account in roles spanning journalism, humanitarian response, and international development. She has led initiatives at Mercy Corps, UNICEF, and Malala Fund, championing intersectionality and anti-oppression values in all her work.

Julisa is also the co-founder of GirlSPARKS, a venture promoting girl-centred design, and an Obama Foundation Leader for the Asia-Pacific. She holds master’s degrees in Child & Adolescent Psychology and Business Administration.

Jesselina Rana, a human rights lawyer, is the UN Advisor at CIVICUS’ New York Hub, where she leads research and analysis on international law and policy, advocates for meaningful civil society participation at the UN, and advises the UN and member states on global civic space issues. Previously, at Amnesty International Nepal, she played a key role in legal reforms on rape laws, citizenship laws, and acid violence legislation. Jesselina is a graduate of Harvard Law School.