Christine Schärer worked as a journalist and editor for Swiss Television during more than 25 years, for instance for the women's magazine "Lipstick" and the daily news. Towards the end of the 1980s, she was involved in the Zurich movement "Frauen macht Politik!" FraP ("Women make politics!"). From 1991 to 1993, she was responsible for women's concerns at the TV Studio Zurich. Her involvement made her realize how many structural hurdles women have to face every day, and she is very much aware of the huge potential of committed, networked women. When she retired, she set herself the goal of strengthening women across geographical and cultural borders with the help of the focus women foundation. 

Seraina Chowdhury holds a Master's degree in International Development from the Graduate Institute of Geneva, specialising in power and conflict with a strong background in gender, race and diversity. Her Master's thesis focused on women's empowerment, conducting a discourse analysis of the concept in Swiss women's organisations. She has gained professional experience in various organisations working for social change. She currently works as a communications assistant at FSD (Fondation suisse de déminage), a Swiss NGO specialising in humanitarian demining.

Severina Eggenspiller ist Expertin in Entwicklungszusammenarbeit, Projektmanagement und Kulturmanagement. Nach Einsätzen für das IKRK, die Direktion für Entwicklung und Zusammenarbeit DEZA und die feministische NGO cfd arbeitete sie für verschiedene Schweizer Stiftungen. Für die Drosos Stiftung baute sie in Marokko ein Büro auf und war während zehn Jahren für das Marokko- und Tunesienprogramm verantwortlich. Sie verfügt über breite thematische Kenntnisse und Arbeitserfahrungen in Ostafrika, Indien, Zentralasien und Nordafrika. Sie hat einen Master-Abschluss in Geschichte und Völkerrecht der Universität Zürich sowie Diplome in Entwicklungszusammenarbeit des NADEL der ETH Zürich und in Monitoring & Evaluation des INTRAC in Oxford.

Shazia ist Expertin für soziale Gerechtigkeit und humanitäre Hilfe, Ökodesignerin und Coach. Ihre Expertise basiert auf 20 Jahren Erfahrung in humanitärer Hilfe, Menschenrechtsarbeit und Social Impact, einschliesslich leitender Positionen in Notfalldiensten in Regionen, die von Konflikten, Katastrophen und Vertreibung betroffen sind. Sie hat mit den Vereinten Nationen, zivilgesellschaftlichen Organisationen, dem IKRK und philanthropischen Organisationen im Nahen Osten, Afrika, Südostasien und Europa zusammengearbeitet. Sie schöpft aus ihren Lebenserfahrungen als Tochter Kenias und aus ihrer persönlichen intersektionalen Perspektive.

Sie setzt sich leidenschaftlich für die Integration eines ganzheitlichen, inklusiven und systemischen Ansatzes für die komplexen Herausforderungen unserer Welt ein. Shazia hat einen BA in Politikwissenschaften und Nahoststudien (McGill), einen MA in Humanitarian Action (Genf), einen MSc in Creative Writing (Edinburgh) und einen MSc in Ecological Design (Schumacher College & Plymouth University.

Manuela Schild is a human rights specialist with a particular focus on women’s rights. She has extensive leadership and international experience. For ten years, she worked in conflict and post-conflict contexts in West and Central Africa, the Middle East and Afghanistan for international organizations such as the ICRC and the UN.

In Switzerland, she has held senior roles in the fields of asylum and violence prevention, including as a team leader of legal protection procedures at the Federal Asylum Centre in Boudry. Since 2022, she has been the director of Solidarité Femmes Biel/Bienne & Region, a state-recognised victim support service comprising a counselling centre and a women’s and girls’ shelter.

She holds a licentiate in Ethnology from the University of Zurich, as well as a CAS in Advocacy in International Affairs (Graduate Institute, Geneva) and in Migration Law (Universities of Bern, Neuchâtel and Fribourg).

Antonia Banz is a set designer and a culture manager. She has been running her own design business raumprodukt gmbh for more than 20 years. The company focuses on designing and implementing socially relevant theme exhibitions. Antonia contributes to the focus women foundation with her experience in business administration and project management. As a General Manager, she is responsible for the Foundation's operational activities and acts as its contact person.