KARAT Coalition

Mirela Arqimandriti, Albania (till June 2013)
Executive Director, Gender Alliance for Development Center (GADC)

Susanna Vardanyan, Armenia (till the end of 2011)

Executive Director, Women's Rights Center (WRC)

Obstetrician-gynecologist by training, Susanna is the founder and the President of Women’s Rights Center – pioneer women organization in Armenia after the Soviet Union collapse. She is responsible for the implementation of great number of initiatives related to prevention of violence against women, including the first emergency shelter for women-victims and their children as well as drafting of domestic violence law in Armenia. For her work Suzanna has received Human Rights Award from Advocates for Human Rights and has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by “Peace Women Across the Globe”. Suzanna is a national monitor on VAW in Armenia and a Board and Steering Committees member in number of organizations.

Michaela Marksova – Tominova, Czech Republic

(till the end of 2011)

Association for Equal Opportunities

Michaela is currently working as a free lance gender expert and a journalist. She is cooperating with Gender Studies in Prague, Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs - also as a Head of Department of Family Policy - and a gender focal point at the Office of the Government of the Czech Republic. She is also a member of the Governmental Council of Equal Opportunities of Women and Men. She has been involved in KARAT from the very beginning and it is her third term as a Board Member. Michaela is married and has 2 daughters.

Katerina Milenkova-Trajcheva, Macedonia (till the end of 2011)

Permaculture and Peacebuilding Center PPC SHTIP

Katerina is a lawyer, and also holds a Master of science degree from KTH-Sweden. She has ten years experience in gender issues; she moderated as a trainer of gender relations over 40 workshops and seminars for women from Macedonia. She is one of the founders of PPC Shtip and the coordinator of the programme of women. She has participated in the tailor course for NGO management and organizational development in Copenhagen and in the Programme for Human rights of women at the Raoul Wallenberg Institute in Lund. She has been a social auditor for Fear Wear Foundation since 2006.

Olga Sirbu, Moldova (till June 2013)

Women Political Club 50/50

Olga holds both BA and MA Degree in International Relations. In 2005 she started working at Political Club of Women 50/50 and now she is a Deputy Executive Director. She promotes women's human rights and encourages women to actively participate in decision making processes of all levels. Olga has attended lots of trainings and seminars on human rights issues and her belief in the idea of human rights and a wish to put it into practice have only strengthened. She is also the president of the People to People International Chisinau, Moldova Chapter - this is a voluntary work that she is involved in for the same purpose - creating a culture of human rights.

Raluca Manaila, Romania (till June 2013)

“AUR” - The National Association of Human Resources Specialists

Economist, Psychologist and Inernational Relations Master by training, Raluca has a succesful 6 years experience on cooperating with „AUR”. Next to the NGOs activities she is also working as HR Consultant in a business consultancy firm (DACR0M Consulting) and as trainer. Among the others her expertise include PR, networking, advocating, and training programs on equal opportunities, gender equality, labour market and social development. Raluca is the author of many publications and papers on the human resources associated issues. In KARAT since 2005, she greatly represents the organization in the European Coalition for Corporate Justice (ECCJ).

Zuzana Jezerska, Slovakia (till the end of 2011)

Executive Director, Slovak Centre for Communication and Development

During her professional life Zuzanna has been active in three main areas: arts, management, and development issues expertise. As far as KARAT is concerned, in 1997 she was representing one of the founder members of the Coalition. Since then, there was a stable continuation of cooperation and mutual support. Zuzanna has been involved in NGO movement since 1992, focusing firstly on women’s/gender issues, later shifting her attention to the broader questions on globalization. Her expertise includes project management on all levels, consultancy work, and professional service in UN structures.
In 2005, together with colleagues, she established Slovak Centre for Communication and Development – a non-profit service organization aimed at promotion of development/global concerns including global education in Slovakia, which is a KARAT Member since 2008.