“Gender mainstreaming towards gender equality requires a long-term commitment and a vision of what is possible for social justice and inclusiveness.”

“Child safeguarding and protection must be central in policymaking and implementation. Too often macro-level policies, strategies and plans do not focus on children explicitly or consider their needs.”

Prema Devaraj

Director of Nessie Sdn Bhd, Gender and Child Safeguarding Consultant

Prema is Malaysian and has been living in Penang, Malaysia most of her life. Over the last 25 years, she has built up a range of experiences, skills and knowledge related to

• gender including gender-based violence, gender and good governance, gender mainstreaming with a focus on inclusiveness and participation, and gender equality and women’s empowerment;
• child safeguarding issues, including on the prevention of child sexual abuse, accessing protection and services for children as well as advocating for the rights of children in the criminal justice system.

Prema has been involved with Women’s Centre for Change, Penang (WCC) since the late 1990s and she is also a member and past president of ALIRAN, a Malaysian human rights group based in Penang. This experience has helped contextualise her work on women and children within a rights based framework.

Prema’s passion for the rights and well-being of women and children has translated into her activism for a more just and inclusive society. It is her inspiration for all the work that she does.

Contact Nessie at premadevaraj28@gmail.com for more information.