Resume

Resume as at April 2008

Beatrice Nabwire Were



1. Personal Data



Sex: Female Date of Birth 28th. July 1966

Marital Status: Single

Number of Children: Three

Address: P.o.Box 4485 Kampala Tel 256 77 502927

E-mail: beatrice.were@gmail.com or bwere2000@hotmail.com



2. Career objective

Policy analysis, Human Rights advocacy



Summary

Beatrice Were is a Social Scientist and development worker with experience in HIV/AIDS

programme management, policy analysis and human rights work with critical focus on women’s

rights for the last 13 years.

Due to her personal loss of her husband to AIDS in 1991 Ms. Were has turned her personal

struggle into a new brand of activism and hope aimed at supporting communities affected by

HIV/AIDS especially women, children and the youth. Her activism centers around the rights of

AIDS widows and orphans, access to treatment for those infected and prevention of those who are

not yet infected.

Ms. Were has worked in direct service delivery, policy and advocacy work, research, training,

building partnerships and programme management. Her work has contributed tremendously to

raising awareness on the rights of women and HIV. Through work Ms.Were has gained local,

regional and international exposure and experience.

In her innovative career she founded the National Community of Women Living with HIV/AIDS

(NACWOLA) which operates in 25 districts in Uganda with over 40,000 members.

While at NACWOLA she founded the Memory project which has been adopted by many NGOs in

Uganda and abroad as a successful approach for community coping mechanisms.

At her work place Ms. Were has broken the silence on HIV/AIDS by being the only staff member in

ActionAid International Uganda who speaks about her HIV status in the work place as a way of

reaching out to those who may be infected and help those who are not yet infected escape HIV

infection. She has spearheaded the formulation of an HIV/AIDS workplace policy and

implementation of workplace programmes for staff and ActionAid partners.

Over the last one year Ms. Were has stood out with courage and challenged Uganda government’s

shift in HIV prevention policy and accountability to the AIDS fight by courageously speaking out

and arguing against ineffective promotion of Abstinence until marriage programmes at the expense

of comprehensive and evidence and Rights based HIV prevention .Additionally she has advocated

for accountability with regard to the Global Fund for Uganda.

At the global level, Ms. Were has addressed a number of key important fora including Senators at

the White House in Washington, UN General Assembly, and Special Session on AIDS the

International AIDS Vaccine and African First ladies among others and the UK parliament, house of

commons. In this process she has raised international attention on the effect of abstinence only

programs on the many years of achievement of Uganda’s HIV prevention efforts.







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Through her advocacy work at global level Ms. Were has worked with several organizations and

individuals on key HIV/AIDS and human rights issues. Key among these are Stephen Lewis

(former UN Special envoy on HIV/AIDS for Africa), Center for Gender Equity (CHANGE, Treatment

Action Campaign South Africa (TAC) and Human Rights Watch among others.

Currently Ms. Were is a member of the Steering working group of the HIV Center Columbia

University New York, USA

She is also Co-chair of the Community Planning Committee of 16th World AIDS Conference,

Mexico, 2008.



At the local level, Ms. Were has addressed the Management Forum, Uganda Women’s network,

primary and secondary school gatherings in her community where she offers guidance and

counseling to young girls on a voluntary basis.

Ms. Were has been honored by many organizations both local and international for her exemplary

work on HIV/AIDS and human rights. The most recent is the prestigious International Human

Rights Defender of the Year 2005 and 2006 by Human Rights Watch. Please follow links

below.http://hrw.org/english/docs/2005/10/25/uganda11920.htm

http://www.alertnet.org/thefacts/reliefresources/interactionawards.htm



3. Achievements at National Level



 Founded the national community of women living with HIV/AIDS – NACWOLA. The

organization has a membership of over 40,000 members is 25 districts in Uganda

 Founded the successful Memory project which aims at empowering parents living with

HIV/AIDS to openly communicate with their children and make secure plans for the future

of the children.

 Co- founder of the National Guidance and Empowerment network of people living with

HIV/AIDS – NGEN+

 Founded Positive Women Leaders – (POWL – U), an organization that aims at reaching

professional women living with HIV to cope with HIV especially in the workplace.

 Led the national campaign on the mismanagement of Global Fund in Uganda

 Led the national campaign on Uganda’s reversing prevention strategy

 Developed advocacy toolkit for People living with HIV/AIDS

 Developed 5 year strategy on HIV/AIDS and SRHR for ActionAid International Uganda

 Led the development of a policy on HIV/AIDS in the workplace for ActionAid International

Uganda

 Worked on a number of studies on treatment, prevention care and conflict in ActionAid

International Uganda

 Supported a number of local Community Based Organisations and NGOs especially the

youth to develop Strategic plans. Key among these is Young Positives.



4. Achievements at Regional and International Level



 Participated in the development of WHO guidelines on treatment in resource poor

settings

 Participated in the development of WHO guidelines on testing and treatment of women

living with HIV





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 Supported ActionAid International Ireland to develop 3 year strategic plan

 Carried out research and advocacy with Human Rights Watch on the effect of

abstinence only programmes on Uganda’s HIV prevention strategies

 Spoken at a number of international conferences on women and children’s rights

 Rated as one of the most influential women and leaders in Uganda by both the New

Vision and Daily Monitor news papers in Uganda, 2005

 Rated among the most influential people on HIV and the most effective speaker at the

16th conference on AIDS in Toronto Canada by Toronto STAR



5. Skills and abilities

 Innovative, developing projects, implementing, managing, monitoring and supervising

initiatives and programmes.

 Managing people

 Heading and leading teams

 Advocacy and campaigning on human rights issues, rights of women, rights of children

and people living with HIV/AIDS at grass root, national and global level

 Fundraising for programmes

 Developing, implementing and managing HIV/AIDS workplace programmes and

interventions

 HIV/AIDS Counseling skills especially peer support

 Partnership building with Civil society and Government

 Creating linkages, partnerships and networking with local and international NGOs and

Community Based Organisations

 Public speaking, lobbying and advocacy

 Documentation of best practices and successes for policy and advocacy work

 Tireless hard worker with minimum supervision who can endure pressure and effectively

meet deadlines

 Management of donor projects and partnerships



6. Educational background

Currently, Post Graduate Student, Masters in Social Sector Planning and Management, Makerere

University



2005/2007 Makerere University, MA, Social Sector Planning and Management – On going



1992 Makerere University BA Social Sciences



1986 Nabisunsa Girls’ Secondary School – A Level



1984 Mt. St. Mary’s Namagunga – O level



1974 – 1980 St. Paul’s Primary School Kitagobwa



7. Professional training (obtained certificates)



Year Institution Professional training





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1996 Uganda Management Institute Project proposal writing and resource

mobilization

1996 UNDP training for implementing Programme implementation and finance

partners management

1993 Makerere University Project identification, design, appraisal,

implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation

2005 Action Aid International Uganda Certificate in Advocacy training for Access to

treatment

2005 Uganda Network on Law Ethics & Certificate in HIV/AIDS and Human Rights in

HIV/AIDS the Workplace

2006 Center for African Development Certificate in Advocacy for Sex Reproductive

Studies, Nairobi – Kenya Health and HIV/AIDS

2006 Centre for Basic Research – CBR Certificate in Research methods & Writing

skills

2007 Accord & NOVIB Organizational Competence Assessment in

Management of HIV/AIDS in the Workplace

2007 ActionAid International Rights Based Programming in HIV/AIDS

2007 Centre for Economic Governance HIV/AIDS and Health budget Analysis and

and AIDS in Africa Expenditure Tracking

2007 Eastern Africa Sub – Regional African Women’s Health and Gender Analysis

Africa Women’s Leadership

Institute (AWLI)





8. Key assignments – professional undertakings



1993 Volunteer Counselor: Uganda Red Cross Society, Community Based

Health Care Project Kibuye, Kampala

1993 – 2000 Project Social Worker, AIDS Widows Orphans Family Support Nsambya

Hospital

1995 – 2001 Project Social Worker, AIDS Integrated project Nsambya Hospital

1998 – 2001 National Coordinator, National Community of Women Living with

HIV/AIDS in Uganda – NACWOLA

1995 – 2001 Regional Coordinator for East Africa, International Community of Women

Living with HIV/AIDS

July 2001 – January Executive Director, International Community of Women living with

2003 HIV/AIDS – ICW

1 st October 2003 to Team Leader HIV/AIDS/SRHR, Policy and Advocacy, ActionAid



date Uganda

 Developed HIV/AIDS & SRHR strategy, 2005 – 2009

 Fundraising and management of HIV/AIDS country programme

budget to the tune of over 600,000 EURO annually

 Developed and rolled out HIV/AIDS Workplace policy

 Counseling and psycho-social support to people living with

 HIV/AIDS and their affected families







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 Monitoring and evaluation of project work.

 Conducting research on key issues related to HIV/AIDS trends

 Capacity building for partners for institutional strengthening

Coordination and participation in shared events with NGO at all

levels

 Building strategic partnerships and alliances with HIV/AIDS

partners.

 Mainstreaming HIV/AIDS internally and externally through our

partners

 Member of Women’s Rights working group of ActionAid

International Uganda

 Participated in the development of HIV/AIDS strategy for

ActionAid International – Africa region

 Participated in international campaigns on HIV/AIDS in ActionAid

International

 Led campaign on Global fund mismanagement in Uganda

 Out spoken on US policies on prevention in Africa



1st. December, 2007 Africa Partnership Director, Global AIDS Alliance – GAA

 Strategic plan development

 Advocacy programs

 Partnership development



Consultancies undertaken



Consultant, Assessment of AIDS responses in Uganda, Uganda AIDS Commission, 1997



Consultant, End of Strategies for Action Program, Action Aid – Uganda, 2003



Coordinator, Africa: International Memory project by Health link Worldwide, 2003



Assessor, Grantee applicants, Firelight Foundation, 2003



Reviewer, HIV/AIDS testing manual, HIV/AIDS Alliance, UK, 2003



Researcher, International Treatment Preparedness report (ITPC), 2007



Project Assessor, Stephen Lewis Foundation 2007



Consultant, Health Gap/WHO, Task Shifting Project, September – December 2007



Consultant, Rights Based, HIV/AIDS, Gender & SRH Project for Pokot Community, Danish Church

Aid, 2007



Consultant, Global AIDS Alliance, Strategic Planning and Advocacy mobilization tour, 2007







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Member, Expert Consultation on Task Shifting, WHO/UNAIDS/PEPFAR



9. Other professional Undertakings and assignments







1995 – 2001 Regional Coordinator, Africa: International Community of Women living

with HIV/AIDS

1995 –1998 Chairperson: National Community of women living with HIV/AIDS –

NACWOLA

1996 Member, Community Planning Committee, World AIDS Conference,

Geneva

1997 –1998 Member, Community Planning Committee, World AIDS Conference,

Geneva

1999 –2000 Member, Community Planning Committee, World AIDS Conference,

Durban, South Africa

1999 – 2000 Member, International Steering Committee, 11th ICASA Conference,

Lusaka, Zambia

1995 PLHA Liaison, 9th ICASA Conference, Kampala, Uganda

2000 – 2001 Board member, Traditional Healers and Modern Practitioners Together

Against AIDS – THETA

2001 Member, Community Organising Committee, SWAA Conference,

Kampala, Uganda

2001 – 2002 Member, Community organizing Committee, World AIDS Conference,

Barcelona, Spain

1995 Founder member, National Guidance and Empowerment Network of

people living wit HIV/AIDS – NGEN+

1999 Team Member: Evaluation of AIDS activities in Uganda by Uganda

AIDS Commission

1999 – 2000 Member: task force: Uganda Network on Law Ethics and HIV/AIDS

2001 to date Member: Global reference group on HIV/AIDS and Human Rights –

UNAIDS, Geneva

2001 to date Member: Africa grants team, Comic Relief, UK

2002 – 2005 Board Member, Firelight Foundation USA

2004 – 2005 Member, Outside the Dream Foundation for Children Affected by

HIV/AIDS

2005 Board Member, Coalition on Access to Essential Medicines

2005 to date Member of HIV vaccine gender working group, Uganda Women’s

Network (UWONET)

2006 Team Leader of HIV/AIDS & Human Rights Coalition – Uganda

2007 Member, AIDS 2031 Working Group Meeting, North Carolina, USA

2007 Co – chair, Community Programme Committee XVII World AIDS

Conference, Mexico, 2008

2007 Speaker and member, Clinton Global Initiative, New York









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10. Membership

 International Community of Women living with HIV/AIDS- ICW

 Global Network of people living with HIV/AIDS – GNP+

 Society of Women Against AIDS in Africa – SWAA

 Network of African people living with HIV/AIDS – NAP+

 National Community of Women living with HIV/AIDS

 National Guidance and Empowerment Network of African People living with HIV/AIDS

 TASO

 National Forum For People Living with HIVA/IDS - NAFOPHANU

 THETA

 Uganda Management Forum

 International AIDS Society (IAS)

 Old Girls Association, Namagunga Girls Senior Secondary School

 Old Girls Association, Nabisunsa Girls Senior Secondary School

 AIDS Club, Nabisunsa Senior Secondary School



11. List of Awards Received

 Namagunga Old Girls Award of Excellence 1999

 Philly Lutaaya Award of Recognition of fighting HIV stigma 2004

 Humanitarian Award for championing the Children’s Cause in by Interaction –

Washington DC 2003

 Human Rights Defender of the Year 2005, Human Rights Watch

 Professional Woman of the Year 2005 by British Council and Uganda Management

Forum

 Vocational Awards by Rotary International

 Human Rights Defender of the Year 2006, Human Rights Watch

 Woman Achiever, Uganda, 2006



12. Additional skills

 Can drive

 Computer literate. Comfortable with word processing, Excel, e-mail, power point

and internet

 Trainer of trainers

 Public speaker

 Effective public speaker











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