Since 1981, Debbie Stothard, a Malaysian, has worked as a crime reporter, government advisor, human rights advocate, and educator. In 1996, she founded ALTSEAN-Burma to develop innovative human rights training and advocacy programs. She is the Chair of board at The International Network for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ESCR-Net) and Chair of Innovation for Change (I4C), as well as being a board member at the Association for Women’s Rights in Development (AWID). She previously served as Secretary-General of FIDH, the International Federation for Human Rights (2013-2019). Debbie is a grassroots-focused activist who works with communities to engage states, IGOs and other stakeholders throughout Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas. She has developed training programs focused on the thematic priorities of business and human rights (BHR), human rights-focused macro-economic policy, atrocity prevention, and women’s leadership, and has been involved in more than 400 training workshops in the past 19 years, with many held in rural areas and conflict-affected zones.
