Esther Dingemans is a leading expert on developing and implementing survivor-centred programmes addressing conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV). With her expertise in community-driven projects, capacity building, and holistic care for survivors, Esther became the founding Director of the Dr Denis Mukwege Foundation. There, she worked on uniting survivors to advocate globally through one network and developing holistic care programmes. Esther transitioned from the Mukwege Foundation to Global Survivors Fund, where she is now working to realise the right to reparation for survivors of CRSV. Prior to these roles, Esther led programmes fighting CRSV in Guinea, Ivory Coast, Sudan (Darfur), Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Syria.

Clara Sandoval joined the Global Survivors Fund (GSF) as Director of Programmes in 2021. A qualified lawyer and leading expert on reparations, human rights, and transitional justice, Clara is an honourary professor at the University of Essex, a founding member of the Essex Transitional Justice Network, and the former Director of the Essex Human Rights Centre. She has worked on cases before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and has served as an expert on reparations in cases involving sexual violence before the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. 

Clara’s work with survivors of conflict-related sexual violence has focused on domestic reparation programmes in countries like Ukraine, Colombia, Peru, Iraq, Guatemala, and Chile. Clara’s extensive list of publications on reparation, including for survivors of conflict-related sexual violence, are regularly cited and consulted in the sector. 

In 2017, she was appointed by the ICC as one of four experts to advise on reparations in the Jean Pierre Bemba case. She has also served as an expert on reparations before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in landmark cases like Jineth Bedoya Lima and Other v. Colombia, The Patriotic Union v. Colombia, Collen Leite and Others v. Brasil and in the case of Ramos Durand and Others v. Peru. Clara has also worked as a consultant for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and  she provided advice on transitional justice to the Ministry of Justice in Colombia during the peace negotiations with the FARC. 

Clara has an MA and PhD from the University of Essex and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

With over 20 years of professional experience in the humanitarian sector with Médecins Sans Frontières, Maya Shah joined Global Survivors Fund (GSF) to provide leadership in its operation functions; fundraising, communications, financial management, and human resources. As Director of Operations, Maya is fostering a culture of accountability and ensuring that GSF’s resources are used in compliance to ethical standards and in the most cost-effective manner. 

Prior to joining GSF, Maya worked close to the social mission of Médecins Sans Frontières in Kenya, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, and Uganda. She also worked from headquarters to enhance the delivery of operations in Southeast Asia and Pacific and West Africa. She is passionate about innovation in the humanitarian sector, having successfully led large-scale innovation projects in previous roles.