Magdala Laguerre is a gender and social inclusion specialist with more than 10 years of experience advancing women’s rights, gender equality, and humanitarian action in Haiti. Her career has focused on integrating gender perspectives into development and humanitarian programs, promoting feminist approaches to leadership, and strengthening the capacity of grassroots, women-led organizations.
As Technical Gender Advisor at the Haitian Women’s Collective (HWC), Magdala provides strategic and technical guidance on gender integration, feminist movement strengthening, and inclusive program design. She leads initiatives that build partnerships between Haitian feminist organizations and regional allies, while promoting collective learning, advocacy, and girls’ leadership development.
Before joining HWC, Magdala worked with USAID in Haiti and South Africa, where she contributed to programs focused on governance, gender equality, social inclusion, food security, and humanitarian response. Her areas of expertise include gender-responsive program management, violence prevention, women’s economic empowerment, and community resilience.
Magdala holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh and is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Social Justice and Human Rights at Arizona State University.
Deeply committed to feminist and human rights principles, her work centers the voices of grassroots women leaders as drivers of transformation. She advocates for a development model grounded in solidarity, care, and justice, ensuring that women and girls, especially those from marginalized communities, are not only participants but leaders in shaping Haiti’s future.