Stephanie Ortoleva, Esq.

Stephanie Ortoleva is the Founder and President of Women Enabled International (WEI), a 501(c)(3) not-forprofit organization, which educates and advocates internationally for the human rights of all women and girls, with a special focus on women and girls with disabilities, through collaborations with organizations of women and women with disabilities worldwide. WEI advocates at the United Nations and other multilateral organizations to ensure the inclusion of women and girls with disabilities in international human rights law and in international resolutions, policies and development programs addressing women’s human rights and development. Stephanie Ortoleva is a highly recognized and published author, researcher and international human rights lawyer, consultant and advocate on issues of women’s rights, disability rights, rights of women with disabilities, Sexual and gender-based violence, sexual and reproductive health and rights of women and girls with disabilities, among other issues. As a woman with a disability herself she brings the development, academic and legal perspectives to her work as well as her personal experience as a woman with a disability. Her numerous scholarly publications are on the Social Science Research Network page at: http://ssrn.com/author=1875099 and on the WEI website at www.WomenEnabled.org. Prior to founding WEI, Stephanie served as an attorney and human rights officer at the U.S. Department of State, she serves on the Boards of various women’s rights and disability rights organizations and has received several awards for her outstanding work. She graduated from Hofstra University School of Law with exceptional honors.