Wendy Kessman

Wendy Kessman is a Program Officer for Sexual Health and Rights at American Jewish World Service. Wendy has worked in the non-profit sector for over 17 years as an advocate, community organizer, researcher and development specialist. Her work has documented the impact of stigma and discrimination of LGBTQI+ people and sex workers in policy, healthcare, justice and social inclusion. She has worked with regional organizations in Southern Africa such as The Other Foundation, Iranti-Org and Accountability International. Wendy has produced over 14 programmatic publications, including community-based qualitative research, policy analyses and annual reports. She is a coalition builder, finding shared goals with stakeholders and building strategic partnerships. Wendy has an M.S. in Global Health from the University of California, San Francisco and a B.A. in Community Studies from the University of California, Santa Cruz.