Stephanie Leitch is a fierce feminist organizer, LGBTQ+ advocate and nonprofit leader from Trinidad and Tobago. In 2011, she founded the digital platform WOMANTRA, which remains the premiere hub for Caribbean and Diaspora social justice activists and cyberfeminist advocacy. In 2015, Stephanie transitioned the digital space into a registered nonprofit and has headed the organization for the past five years. Her activism largely focuses on gender-based violence, sexual and reproductive health and rights, the mentorship of young feminists, and social policy development. Having worked within the Caribbean context over the past decade and risen through the ranks of being mentored by local ‘giants’ in the field to becoming a leader herself. Stephanie brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the landscape of women’s rights movement building, grounded in the realities of a diverse region. Her work, a combination of scholarship and activism, has taken her to Barbados, Grenada, Jamaica and Curacao, and she continues to cultivate the dream of a Carifeminist future, with collective action and priorities. Commenting on her new appointment she shares, “Having led and grown a successful organization for almost a decade with neither formal business training nor core funding, I am intimately familiar with the challenges associated with maintaining efficient operations and how these can prohibit an organization from achieving its full potential. Because of this, I also recognize the importance of empowering organizations to become sustainable beyond donor investments. I look forward to supporting WHRDs who can demonstrate their commitment to gender justice beyond the capitalist imperative, embracing shared challenges and opportunities.” In addition to her role at the Equality Fund, Stephanie serves as Regional Advisor to UN Women, NARO Trustee to the International Union for Health Promotion and Education (IUHPE) and member of the Spotlight Civil Society National Reference Group for Trinidad and Tobago.
Stephanie Leitch
Trinidad and Tobago
