It is with great excitement that I announce that the Board of Directors voted unanimously for the appointment of Alix Vuillemin, an experienced advocate leader and coalition builder, to be our new Executive Director. After more than five years leading the Women’s Initiatives for Gender Justice, I am delighted to pass the mantle to the next generation of feminist leadership.

Alix is an experienced manager with a dedication to foster greater inclusivity and equity in society. With a passion for international justice advocacy, Alix’ career has been formed at the heart of civil society, including with FIDH, the Coalition for the ICC, Human Rights Watch and Open Society for Justice Initiative. This has afforded her extensive expertise in NGO management, advocacy, external relations, and strategic planning for impact. As the Women’s Initiatives’ Advocacy Director, Alix developed great leadership in developing inclusive partnerships, advocating for a survivor-centered understanding of gender justice, and building on our ground-breaking work with The Hague Principles on Sexual Violence.  

In Alix’ own words about working for a gender just world and the collective action it will take:

“We are witnessing a powerful expansion of the gender justice field. The steady increase in understanding gender-based violence and its root causes calls for a fresh assessment of our practices. In seeking to advance gender justice to serve survivors, what do we capture with ‘gender’? How do we include those who have been left behind in our efforts? How do we challenge dogmas including regarding patriarchal norms, understand intersectionality, foster inclusivity, honoring diverse gender identities, understand sexual violence? In doing that, how do we challenge our own positionality, dismantle racism, face neo-colonialism and double standards, and eradicate stigma?

As an esteemed leader in the field, Women’s Initiatives has played its role in driving these transformative advancements. As the newly appointed Executive Director, I am dedicated to carrying forward our legacy of continuously reimagining justice. We will continue to relentlessly advocate for the proper recognition of the lived experiences of victims of atrocity crimes, leveraging the power of the law to ensure justice for all..”

Alix is assuming the leadership of the organization at a critical juncture. Alix’s history with WIGJ and her role in international justice are coming together at a time that calls for bold leadership to further issues of conflict related sexual violence, gender justice, and the need for survivor centered work.

You can read about Alix on our website and follow her on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

Please join me in welcoming Alix to her new role, and thank you for being part of this next chapter and the change we will make together.

Melinda Reed