Ms Marren Akatsa-Bukachi
Executive Director, East African sub Regional Support Initiative for the Advancement of Women (EASSI), Uganda
Marren is currently the Executive Director of the Eastern African sub regional Support Initiative for the Advancement of Women (EASSI). She holds a Bachelors’ degree in Sociology and is completing her Masters’ in Public Health Leadership.
Between 2006/2007, Marren chaired the Commonwealth Women’s Network and coordinated the team that organised the Commonwealth Partners Forum preceding the Commonwealth Women’s Affairs Meeting held in June 2007, in Kampala, Uganda. She has over 20 years’ experience in development work.
EASSI was founded in 1996 as a follow up of the 4th world Conference on Women held in Beijing, China. Its main objective is to monitor implementation of the Beijing Platforms for Action in 8 countries in Eastern Africa.
She is especially passionate about violence against women (VAW) caused by misuse of small arms. She serves on the Advisory Committee of the International Action Network of Small Arms, and is also the convener of its thematic group on strengthening networks.
In December 2010, she inspired a solidarity visit to the DRC as part of her interest in Africans supporting fellow Africans, and mobilised 50 women from Eastern Africa. This was a first.
“I am very excited to be back in the centre stage of Commonwealth”