Leveraging collective action and tech-enabled solutions to support survivors of gender-based violence. 

Enrica Duncan is the director of Mapa do Acolhimento, an organization that leverages technology to provide direct response resources for survivors of gender-based violence. The organization started in response to urgent requests for psychological and legal support, using technology to make one-to-one matches based on needs. Since then, Mapa has transformed into a network of over 10,000 volunteers in 1,000 cities across Brazil to connect survivors to robust mental health support, access to justice, and interventions to break the cycle of violence. Their resource maps are now shared with Google, and they have provided training for the government’s national hotline. With support for social services largely dependent on Brazil’s federal government, Enrica wants to use her Scholar experience to learn how she might help develop a resilient ecosystem that can safeguard social service structures, especially through the power of technology and cross-sector partnerships. She seeks to engage more civil servants through training initiatives and elevate the priority of gender-based violence response within state governments. Ultimately, Enrica is committed to ensuring that vulnerable communities retain access to essential resources, regardless of the prevailing government leadership.

Enrica holds a bachelor’s degree in politics from The New School and is a master's candidate at UN University for Peace in Costa Rica. In 2024, Enrica was selected as the first Brazilian representative of the Marianne Initiative for Human Rights Defenders in France. Enrica serves as board member for NOSSAS, Brazil's largest member-based organization for civic engagement and is an expert at the Women's Safety group at Meta.