Mental Health Europe is a European non-governmental network organisation committed to the promotion of positive mental health, the prevention of mental distress, the improvement of care, advocacy for social inclusion and the protection of the rights of (ex)users of mental health services, persons with psychosocial disabilities, their families and carers.
Fatima is Somali and grew up in the United Kingdom. She has a background in human rights research, policy and advocacy with NGOs. Prior to joining Mental Health Europe, Fatima worked as the Advocacy and Policy Officer for End Female Genital Mutilation European Network and later as project Coordinator for Our Narratives Yet Xplained (ONYX) Hub. As well as being an intersectional feminist, Fatima is an experienced speaker and advocate, with over nine years of experience in advocacy and campaigning. She also co-founded Youth For Change in 2014, a global youth-led network, working in partnership with organisations and governments to tackle gender-based violence and create positive change for young people. Fatima holds a BA (Hons) in Law and Human Rights, and an LLM in International Law and International Relations.
Jennifer is from Germany, with an academic background in international communications management. After completing her Bachelor of Arts at The Hague University (The Netherlands), Jennifer gained practical insight into EU advocacy as a trainee for the European Federation of Journalists, advocating for press freedom and journalists’ rights. During her studies, Jennifer was also involved in project management of Enactus HHS – part of an NGO network using entrepreneurial action to create economic opportunities for people in need. As assistant editor of Newscoop, a global news platform, Jennifer has reported from Brussels, Melbourne and The Hague in the fields of mental health, human rights, climate change and international politics.