Fernanda is Director of International Panel of Parliamentarians for Freedom of Religion or Belief (IPPFORB)
She holds an honours degree in Law from Universidad Complutense of Madrid and Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne of France. She holds a master’s degree in management and public policies form Universidad Catolica of Bolivia and a diploma on Negotiation and Alternative Methods of Conflict Resolution.
She is a former Bolivian MP and former Chair of the Committee on Gender’s rights of the Chamber of Deputies. She was member of the Steering Group of IPPFORB and later Project Manager for Latin America.
Her commitment championing Humans Rights, in specific women’s rights and freedom of religion of belief, began at a very young age, devoting academic work, activism and legislation initiatives to advance toward an egalitarian society in Bolivia.
Previously she was a professor of Law for different Universities and training programs held by cooperation. She is fellow from Vital Voices Foundation and International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) from the U.S. Department of State.
It has always been difficult for me not to raise my voice in the face of injustice, that’s the reason why I chose to be a human rights defender to contribute to change people’s lives and build a more egalitarian society. From grassroots organizations to taking part of drafting legislation and monitoring international human rights standards in Bolivia and now, having the privilege to work with multiple countries and different cultures to enhance freedom of religion or belief is an exciting new journey with new challenges and new aspirations to come along.