We are proud to announce that our Founder and Executive Director, Hassana Maina, has been selected as one of 32 leaders worldwide for the prestigious 2026 Ford Global Fellowship, a flagship leadership initiative of the Ford Foundation.

Chosen from across Africa, Asia, the Americas, and the Middle East, the 2026 cohort joins a growing global community of more than 150 social justice leaders working to address some of the world’s most pressing inequalities. Since its launch in 2020, the Ford Global Fellowship has invested in visionary leaders driving systemic change by strengthening leadership, fostering collaboration, and building a global network committed to advancing justice and democracy.

Hassana’s selection is a recognition of years of bold leadership and unwavering commitment to advancing the rights of women and girls through survivor-centered advocacy, legal support, research, policy reform, and community organizing.

Through ASVIOL Support Initiative, she has championed a feminist approach to addressing sexual and gender-based violence, challenging the structural inequalities that enable violence to persist while working alongside survivors to pursue justice, healing, and lasting systemic change.

Reacting to the announcement, Hassana Maina said:

“It still feels surreal, but I am deeply humbled and excited to share that I have been selected as one of the 32 Ford Global Fellows 2026. Through ASVIOL Support Initiative, my work has focused on interrogating shame and silence, and how they sustain sexual violence and deepen inequality for women and girls.”

She added that the fellowship represents an opportunity to deepen collaboration with changemakers across the globe and strengthen efforts to dismantle systems that perpetuate inequality.

As Hassana joins this distinguished network of global leaders, ASVIOL remains committed to advancing justice, influencing policy, generating evidence, and building movements that ensure every survivor can access support, dignity, and accountability.