Syeda Samara Mortada is a feminist activist and expert in sexual and reproductive health and rights. She currently works as the partner coordinator for Bonhishkha, a feminist organization in Bangladesh.  Bonhishkha works to achieve equality of genders by removing gender-based stereotypes, She created a platform for youth to share their gendered experiences, using arts as the main form to interact. She is a core organizer of the RageAgainstRape movement in Bangladesh and a core member of the coalition Feminists Across Generations. Samara was a 2021 Acumen Fellow.

IVLP Impact Award Project: Capture Community-led Climate Solutions from Sylhet Region, Bangladesh

Through a series of interviews, an audio-visual product was developed highlighting issues of Sexual Reproductive Health Rights for women in the Sylhet region who are affected by the climate-crisis. Interviewees shared innovative solutions during times of crisis. The video has been viewed by approximately 1,000 people.

Samara also moderated the IVLP Impact Awards Alumni Discussion Series panel on “Involving Community in Environmental Action,” which you can read more about here.

Watch on YouTube

"I hope to showcase stories from my community and solutions they have developed themselves, for themselves, in the wake of the climate crisis . . . and present them to global audiences in the hope that they can be replicated elsewhere." - Syeda Samara Mortada

IVLP Exchange Experience 

Samara participated in the IVLP Project A Global Moment in Time - Peace and Justice, organized by the U.S. Department of State and the Institute of International Education, in partnership with WorldDenver and Global Ties Miami.

Samara's exchange experience led to the development of her IVLP Impact Award Project: "The IVLP experience was one of a kind. [It] helped me connect and witness firsthand the work of community-led organizations, networks and government organizations working to achieve peace and justice and to reach out to the most marginalized segments of society."

U.S. Communities Visited

Denver, CO; Washington, DC; Miami, FL

Country: Bangladesh

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