Dr. Daniela Ligiero is the CEO and President of Together for Girls, a global partnership uniting governments, UN Agencies, and civil society to end violence against children and adolescents, particularly sexual violence. This partnership uses a model of data and advocacy to drive action, spanning over twenty countries. With nationally led surveys, it has amassed data on over 12% of the world's population under 24 and more than 20% of children and adolescents in low-income nations.
She co-founded the Brave Movement in 2022, a survivor-led global advocacy movement addressing childhood sexual violence through policy changes and increased funding, including issues such as ending statutes of limitations and ensuring online safety for children.
Before her tenure at Together for Girls, Dr. Ligiero served as the Vice President of Girls and Women's Strategy at the UN Foundation, where she developed the foundation's gender integration strategy. During her five years at the U.S. Department of State, she pioneered the integration of gender issues into foreign policy and global health investments, impacting over 70 countries and over $1 billion in funding. Notably, she helped develop the first-ever International U.S. Government Strategy to End Gender-Based Violence and also the largest investment in adolescent girls' health, the PEPFAR DREAMS program.
Dr. Ligiero also held leadership roles at UNICEF, including Chief of HIV and Deputy Representative in the UNICEF Brazil Country Office. Her extensive experience extends to the World Bank, the U.S. Senate, and direct work with sexual assault survivors. She herself is a survivor of childhood sexual violence, openly sharing her story for over a decade.
She holds a doctoral degree in counseling psychology, has worked in multiple countries across Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America, and is fluent in four languages—English, Portuguese, Spanish, and French. Daniela is a Brazilian American who resides in Bethesda, MD, with her husband and two daughters. Beyond her professional pursuits, she enjoys family time, furniture making, gardening, ocean-related activities like scuba diving, and meditation practice.
Title of a book that changed your life: Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, by Yuval Noah Harari. Helped me have a better perspective of our place in the universe.
A quote that inspires you: “It always seems impossible until it’s done.” Nelson Mandela
A simple pleasure: Girls Night with my two daughters: pijamas, movie, popcorn and laughter
Movie you could watch on repeat: New Dune Movie
A podcast you can’t stop thinking about: Dare to Lead, Brenee Brown
The theme song of your life: Feeling Good, Nina Simone
Something that gives you hope: The courage of individual people to create change
Favorite part of your job: Meeting amazing people who are changing the world
One word to describe Together for Girls: Transformation