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Amalia Fischer Pfaeffle

Amalia Eugenia Fischer Pfaeffle is founder and Executive Director of the Angela Borba Fund for Women based in Rio de Janeiro. The Fund works to modernize the culture of philanthropy and social investment in Brazil, with the goal of transforming people´s “hand-out’ mentality on giving into a deeper understanding about the importance of investing in diversity and transforming gender relations.

A Mexican-Nicaraguan and a feminist activist since 1975, Dr. Fischer founded the Fund in 2001 with nine other women to raise awareness surrounding women´s contributions and women´s issues while changing patterns of traditional philanthropic giving.

Dr. Fischer has a PhD in communication and culture, and was a professor of political science at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico for 20 years. Dr. Fischer is also an Ashoka Fellow and serves on the board of the Urgent Action Fund for Women´s Human Rights.

The Angela Borba Fund for Women conducts social investment and philanthropy activities to promote and advocate human rights for women by funding and providing capacity-building support to women´s groups and organizations. The Fund raises and distributes resources within specific criteria as a means of strengthening women-led initiatives all over the country.