Emma Bell
Emma is a social development consultant with particular expertise in gender issues. She brings 14 years professional experience from work with and for bilateral donor agencies (notably DFID), UN agencies, international NGOs and academic institutions including the Institute of Development Studies in Sussex. Her career has focused on research, policy analysis/development and communications regarding gender and development, particularly HIV and sexual and reproductive health and rights. Her experience includes developing and sharing communications on women's and girls' rights through a range of communications mechanisms and styles. She has also provided policy and technical advice to bilateral agency staff, advocates, academics and NGOs at international and country level in her role as consultant and communications and research officer for both BRIDGE and the International Community of Women Living with HIV (ICW). Emma has also coordinated and managed research, monitoring and communications projects for the Girl Hub, ICW and BRIDGE.
Susan Bewley
Susan Bewley is a Professor of Complex Obstetrics at Kings College London and honorary Clinical Director Obstetrics, NHS London. As a consultant at Guys and St Thomas' for 17 years she looked after women in one of the UK's busiest multidisciplinary HIV-pregnancy clinics. Her research interests focus on severe maternal morbidity and domestic violence.
Silvia Petretti
Silvia Petretti is a woman living with HIV and activist based in London UK. She is one of a handful of women in the UK who are living openly with HIV and she is deeply committed to challenge stigma and discrimination directed towards women living with HIV. In her role as Deputy Chief Executive Officer at Positively UK, Silvia has been leading on national work, supporting women with HIV around the UK developing self-help groups as well as providing support to drug using women and women in prison. Since 2004, Silvia has been coordinating Poz-Fem UK: The National Network of Women Living with HIV, which aims to skill up women living with HIV to influence decisions that affect them, and has played a central role in producing the report: Women HIV and Sexual Health in the UK. Silvia has also contributed to the participatory research by drug using women in London: "Silent Voices". She is in the editorial team of Positively UK magazine and she contributes with regular articles. She also has her blog: The Diary of an HIV+ Activist. Silvia has spoken on issues affecting women with HIV for many years at international conferences including IAC in Mexico 2008 and national conferences including BHIVA 2008. In 2009 Silvia was appointed to be on the Leadership and Accountability Programme Committee for Vienna 2010 and to be Community Representative on the British HIV Association Board of Trustees.
Lynda Shentall
Lynda Shentall has volunteered or worked in the HIV field for over 20 years, initally becoming involved because of a commitment to the impact of the epidemic on injecting drug users. Lynda's interest quickly broadened and she has been involved in many campaigns and fights for the rights of people living with HIV. Currently Lynda is Director of Services at George House Trust, a highly respect HIV organisation which delivers services to people living with HIV in the North West of England.
Alice Welbourn
Alice Welbourn PhD is a writer, trainer and activist with 30 years’ experience in gender, health, and international community development. After her HIV diagnosis in 1992, she wrote “Stepping Stones”, a community training programme known to reduce GBV, now adapted and in use in over 100 countries worldwide. Alice is a member of the UNESCO Global Advisory Group for sex, relationships and HIV education, co-founded the Sophia Forum with Lesley Bulman and is its current chair, and is also Founding Director of the Salamander Trust. (alice @ sophia forum dot net)
