Lara Cousins

Lara joined WGNRR in January 2014 as Advocacy Officer and later worked as Advocacy Manager, developing and supporting global and regional SRHR advocacy strategies, from a human rights and feminist perspective. She continues to provide technical support to specific projects underway at WGNRR. Lara has a background in capacity-building, youth engagement, and rights-based approaches to community development, specializing in gender equity, HIV/AIDS, and SRHR, among other social justice issues. She has cross-cultural work experience in Southern Africa, South America, East and Southeast Asia.

Prior to joining WGNRR, Lara worked in Lesotho as the Youth and Gender Support Worker of Help Lesotho, an NGO based in Hlotse, where she coordinated and facilitated youth leadership events, conferences, and workshops for young people between the ages of 11-31, generally relating to HIV/AIDS, gender equity, and healthy sexuality.

Lara holds a Bachelor of Arts in History and Development Studies from Queen’s University in Kingston, Canada, as well as a Master of Arts in Development Studies from the Institute of Social Studies in The Hague, The Netherlands.

She speaks English, French, and is intermediate in Spanish.