Secretariat

The Secretariat acts as the central hub of the network. It leads, enables and coordinates the members of Southern Voice to work together to achieve the network’s mission and deliver its strategy.

Margarita Gómez
Margarita GómezExecutive Director
Margarita Gómez oversees the Secretariat activities and the network’s strategy.

Previously, Margarita founded and led two policy-impact innovation centres: the People in Government Lab at the Blavatnik School of Government at Oxford University and the Behavioural Unit at CIDE in Mexico. She was a trusted advisor to Mexico’s Public Security and Defence Ministers.

Margarita has more than 15 years of experience working with governments, international organisations, and world-class universities, and delivering context and policy-relevant research. Her research focuses on financial and gender inclusion, integrity and ethics in governments, public security, and public sector transformation.

She is a Visiting Fellow at the Blavatnik School of Government, a Senior Research Fellow at the Public Management and Innovation Lab, and a Behavioural Advisor at the Asian Development Bank.

Tracy Mamoun
Tracy MamounDirector of Global Policy
Tracy Mamoun is Director of Global Policy at Southern Voice. She joined the Southern Voice Secretariat in 2019, and has since been working, through roles in communications, and network and policy strategy, to advance the network’s collective influence on global development debates and policy processes.

Prior to this, Tracy led the communications and advocacy activities of the Caribbean Policy Research Institute, a public policy think tank based in Kingston, Jamaica. She holds a BA in Criticism, Communications and Curation: Arts and Design from Central Saint Martins (UAL, London) and is fluent in English and French.

Valeria Colunga
Valeria Colunga Policy Officer
Valeria Colunga is Southern Voice’s Policy Officer on the Global Policy Team. Prior to this role, she served as Executive Strategy Officer, supporting the Executive Director in the implementation of strategic development initiatives. Valeria is currently Girl Up’s Chief Youth Advisor, providing executive-level input to advance youth-led gender justice across more than 155 countries.

Her experience also includes being a Mexican Delegate at the G20’s Y20 Summit and as a Next Generation Fellow at the UN Foundation. Valeria holds an M.Sc. in Global Governance and Diplomacy from the University of Oxford, as well as a B.A. in International Relations and Global Studies and a B.A. in Latin American Studies from The University of Texas at Austin.

Zamiyat Abubakar
Zamiyat AbubakarHead of Network Strategy
Zamiyat Abubakar is the Head of Network Strategy at Southern Voice, where she leads the strategic engagement and mobilisation of the network members. She has previously worked on international development projects addressing education, extremism, and women’s empowerment in Northern Nigeria.

She also has experience researching and executing online movements and campaigns, focused on feminism and countering violent extremism.

She holds an MSc in Social Science of the Internet from the University of Oxford and a BSc in Communications from the American University of Nigeria.

Beatriz Pfeifer
Beatriz Pfeifer Network Engagement Officer
Beatriz Pfeifer is a Network Engagement Officer at Southern Voice, working toward effective member engagement to strengthen the network’s cohesion, visibility and impact. She has experience coordinating international initiatives and networks and supporting civil society participation in multilateral processes.

She previously coordinated over 120 institutions in Think20 Brasil, and has since worked to amplify Latin American voices in international cooperation debates, building strategic partnerships with global philanthropies.

Beatriz holds a Postgraduate Specialisation in Political Sociology and a Bachelor’s in Political Science. She is passionate about South-South cooperation and the power of collective regional voices in global policy.

Charles Kasumba
Charles KasumbaCommunications Specialist
Charles Kasumba is a Communications Specialist at Southern Voice, where he contributes to the organisation’s communications strategy and leads digital and multimedia content across platforms. His work spans social media, website management, and video production, helping translate research into clear, engaging content.

He holds a BCom in Marketing Management from Stellenbosch University and has experience in both development communications and agency work. He is passionate about using digital tools and storytelling to make complex ideas accessible and drive engagement on global issues.

Giovanna Z. Rinaldo
Giovanna Z. RinaldoCommunications Specialist
Giovanna Z. Rinaldo is a Communications Specialist at Southern Voice. Giovanna has experience developing multimedia communications, producing editorial content and coordinating international relations projects.

She has previously worked to advance gender equality in football, to strengthen democracy advocacy, to support refuge and migration initiatives, and was part of the 2022 Qatar World Cup communications team in Latin America.

Giovanna holds a Master’s degree in International Relations from IE University in Madrid, and a Bachelor’s in Journalism from University of La Verne in California. She is passionate about women empowerment and migration.

Pratyush Sharma
Pratyush Sharma Head of Research and Innovation
Pratyush Sharma leads Southern Voice’s research and innovation agenda, overseeing the quality, relevance, and impact of the network’s evidence-based work.
He has more than 10 years of experience in policy, academia, and teaching in the field of International Relations, with a focus on international development and the Right to Development. His work centres on strengthening collaborative research across the Global South and promoting innovative, participatory approaches to produce timely and policy-relevant evidence.

Pratyush holds a PhD in Peace and Conflict Studies from the University for Peace. His research interests include international development cooperation, sustainable development, and South–South cooperation, with a particular focus on how Global South perspectives can better inform global development policy and dialogue.”

Azizah Fauzi
Azizah FauziProject and Research Senior Officer
Azizah Fauzi is a Project and Research Senior Officer at Southern Voice. Previously, she worked as a policy researcher at an Indonesian think tank, focusing on food commodities, regulatory frameworks, agricultural policy, and regional cooperation frameworks. She is passionate about bridging research and policy to ensure evidence-based work translates into real-world impact.

In 2023, she was selected as one of the winners of the Southern Voice Young Think Tankers competition. Azizah holds a Master of Arts in International Political Economy from the University of Manchester and a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from the University of Nottingham.

Anarosa Robles Chuquizuta
Anarosa Robles ChuquizutaAdministration and Finance Manager
Anarosa Robles Chuquizuta is the Administration and Finance Manager at Southern Voice. She has experience coordinating projects and managing administrative processes. Her work focuses on ensuring the smooth operation of organisational activities and supporting the coordination of key projects and events.

Anarosa holds a Bachelor’s degree in Social Management from the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru (PUCP). She has been actively involved in social responsibility initiatives and has led efforts to promote sustainable practices and stakeholder engagement within organisations.

Angélica Suárez
Angélica SuárezInstitutional Data Analyst
Angélica Suárez is the Institutional Data Analyst at Southern Voice. Her role involves the effective management of databases and providing support to projects through the use of technological tools. Before, she worked on different research projects, providing data support and technical assistance.

Her social experience includes working at TECHO Peru in the area of International Cooperation, as well as participating in the planning and coordination of activities for the Asociación Bíblica Emmanuel del Callao in Peru. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Social Management from the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru (PUCP).

Andrea Navarro
Andrea NavarroAdministration Assistant
Andrea Navarro is the Administration Assistant at Southern Voice. Her work focuses on assisting the Administration and Finance Manager in ensuring the smooth operation of the SV activities and in coordinating initiatives and events.

Before joining Southern Voice, she worked in assisting social projects in the public and private sectors in Peru. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the PUCP and has a certification in Monitoring and Evaluation of Social Projects and Programs from the ESAN.

Farah Munayer
Farah MunayerGlobal Campaign Advisor
Farah Munayer is a Global Campaign Advisor at Southern Voice, specialising in elections, democratic institutions, human rights, and strategic communication.
She has more than twenty years of professional experience working across public institutions and civil society organisations.

Her work has focused on the design of policies, institutional initiatives, political analysis, and communication strategies related to electoral processes, democratic culture, and institutional strengthening. Farah previously worked with Mexico’s National Electoral Institute (INE), where she contributed to electoral training, institutional communication, and initiatives aimed at strengthening democratic culture and citizen participation.

She is a founding member of Aúna, a civil society initiative that promotes women’s leadership and greater participation of women in politics in Mexico.

Michelle Quiñones
Michelle QuiñonesData Analyst and Coordination Consultant
Michelle oversees all activities related to Southern Voice’s Strengthening Think Tanks project. Michelle has a Master’s Degree in Political Science and is currently pursuing a DPhil in Migration Studies at the University of Oxford.

Michelle has extensive experience in developing complementary education pathway programmes for refugee youth and has also worked as a research consultant on issues related to border externalisation and militarisation, development and inequalities in the Global South, and the Post-2030 Agenda.

Michelle has collaborated on strategic research projects in these fields with the American Friends Service Committee and Southern Voice.

Fellows

Estefania Charvet
Estefania CharvetResearch Fellow
Estefanía Charvet is Research Fellow at Southern Voice. Previously, she served as Director of Programmes and Research.

Before joining Southern Voice, Estefania worked for research organizations and think tanks in South America and Europe. She was responsible for conducting research on political inclusion, gender, participation, and accountability.

Estefanía holds a Master in Development Studies from the Graduate Institute Geneva and a Bachelor in Economics from the Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador.