🔥 Staying, Speaking, Surviving: Feminist Leadership in an Era of Rising Backlash 🔥

Catalyst Co-Labs is proud to announce an Invite Only PRIVATE Compass Event with Mendy Marsh, ED of VOICE and Kavita Mehra, ED of Sahki both fierce advocates for feminist leadership in humanitarian crises. Apply here to be part of the conversation. 

Across the globe, feminist leaders are navigating rising authoritarianism, online abuse, burnout, and severe funding cuts. We are in a dangerous—but defining—moment. The rollback of women’s rights in the U.S.—from attacks on reproductive justice to book bans to threats against gender-based violence services—is not an outlier. It reflects a global trend of shrinking civic space, escalating authoritarianism, and targeted backlash against those advancing gender justice—especially women of color, queer leaders, and frontline crisis responders.

And yet—many are still staying. Still speaking. Still surviving.

This 90-minute private Compass Session, hosted by Mendy Marsh and  Kavita  in conversation with other leading experts, will sharpen our collective understanding of the threats facing feminist leaders and frontline providers. Together, we’ll explore:

💥 Real-time dilemmas around advocacy, visibility, and safety—and workshop practical responses.
🤝 Where solidarity, collective voice, and strategic silence intersect—and when to choose each.
💪 Hard-earned strategies for navigating this landscape—staying visible where possible, staying safe where necessary.

We will leave with a renewed sense of connection, courage and a strategy for adaptation. Let’s hold space. Let’s build strength. Let’s stay in the fight. 💜

We are recruiting 20 visionary experts (apply here) to join Mendy and Kavita for this powerful conversation on: 

🗓️ September 3, 2025
🕓 4PM CET/10AM ET for 90 minutes
📍Virtual | Invite Only (apply here)

Are you a….

✅ Feminist leader with experience navigating authoritarian regimes (activist, policymaker, grassroots organizer, NGO head)
✅ Specialist in digital security, secure communications, or online safety
✅ Survivor-advocate, frontline healer, or practitioner working at the intersection of trauma, justice, and resistance
✅ Expert on authoritarianism, political violence, or shrinking civic space
✅ Strategist in disinformation, narrative shift, or counter-messaging

📩 Apply here to be considered to join this powerful and protected conversation here. Applications close August 22nd. Invitees will be confirmed August 25th.

 🚀 What Is Catalyst Compass Event?
Catalyst Compass is a strategic conversation series by Catalyst Co-Labs 💡— a space where social innovators, bold thinkers, and unlikely allies come together to spark ideas and shape collaborative, real-world solutions.

🎤 About Mendy Marsh
Mendy Marsh is the co-founder and Executive Director of VOICE, a global feminist organization shifting power to women and girls in crisis. A former UNICEF senior leader, she shaped global policy on gender-based violence and trained thousands across 18 countries. At VOICE, she leads bold, women- and girl-centered strategies that challenge systems, resource frontline leaders, and reframe women and girls as essential infrastructure in crisis response.

🎤 About Kavita Mehra

Kavita Mehra is a committed nonprofit leader and the Executive Director of Sakhi for South Asian Survivors, bringing over 20 years of advocacy experience. A Harvard-educated changemaker, she drives culturally responsive programs and systemic change to support survivors of gender-based violence, embedding equity and empowerment at every level.

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