Governance

Marama Mullen was born in to a life of poverty, drug and alcohol addiction, crime, hardship and social marginalisation. Despite being born a Māori, an Indigenous New Zealand woman, she was able to overcome her social health determinants, gain an education and rise above her HIV and social status. This ethnic pride restoration enabled her to work through the complexities of HIV and become a public advocate/activist for Indigenous people living with HIV & AIDS. Marama was infected with HIV in 1993. This experience has helped Marama to champion Indigenous People’s and HIV globally. And also has made her an advocate against the criminalisation of HIV. Marama’s qualifications include Maori language, Administration, Law and philosophies, and an advanced diploma of business systems (IT). Her interests currently lie with a public health diploma and her two young HIV free children.

Marama is the Co-chair of the International Indigenous Working Group on HIV & AIDS, The Executive Director of INA (Māori, Indigenous, & South Pacific) HIV & AIDS Foundation, she has served on the International AIDS Conference program committee for 2012 (Washington DC) & 2014 (Melbourne), and she is currently the Co-chair of the Global Village and Youth Program.

Norlela is the Chairperson from ICW AP elected in July 2015. She is the woman PLHIV representative for the CCM Malaysia, a member for the Technical Advisory Committee for UnZiptheLips Asia Pacific and the Chairperson of Persatuan Wahidayah Malaysia (PEWAHIM) since 2012. In 2012, Norlela started to manage the Wahidayah Home. She has a diploma in Secretarial Science from University of Technology Malaysia, and a certificate in Programming from University of Technology Malaysia.

Since 2000, she has been living with HIV and a strong advocate for the rights of woman and girls living with HIV. She is the mother for four children and has been awarded the Best Community Leader from JAKIM in 2013.

Ms. Althea Leonie Cohen is a 38 years old female advocate.

She is a leader of caliber, she is open minded, helpful, down to earth and have years of experience in HIV work. To mention a few of her achievements; she is one of the Directors of the Jamaica Community of Positive Women Organization (JCW+) were she also serve on the Steering Committee, as a volunteer. Her roll is the Women Living With HIV (WHIV) Mobilization and Gender Officer. Ms. Cohen is the current Female Person Living with HIV (PLHIV) Representative on the Jamaica Country Coordinating Mechanism (JCCM) for the Global Fund. She has being involved in edutainment films for HIV awareness. She has been trained with the GIPA Capacity Building Program, and attending various seminars, workshops and leaderships sessions has contributed to her capacity building, making her input in policy making, mobilization, facilitation, peer support and monitoring and evaluation more effective.

As a cosmetologist, her clients, through their satisfaction have commended her in applying her skill to their elegant appearance. As a mother of four children, her income is used to ensure her children receive an education and for her to achieve her goals.

Olena Stryzhak (Cherkasy, Ukraine) is a Deputy Head of the Ukrainian NGO ‘Positive Women’, which she represents as a member of the International Steering Committee of International Community of Women living with HIV.

She is also a member of the Communities Delegation at the Board of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM).

In 2002, Olena started to work as a consultant for HIV-positive pregnant women in Ukraine and continues to help women and girls through All-Ukrainian’s Network of People Living with HIV.