Myroslava Tataryn

Bio

Myroslava works as the Advisor on Disability and HIV/AIDS for AIDS Free World, an international AIDS advocacy organization co-founded by women's rights activist, Paula Donovan, and former UN Special Envoy on AIDS in Africa, Stephen Lewis.

Myroslava began her engagement in the international disability movement during her studies in Ghana in 2002-2003, and she has since been involved in exposing the intersections between human rights, disability issues, and the AIDS pandemic. During a six-month CIDA internship in Cape Town, she was instrumental in the development of a national education program and a Training Manual on Disability and HIV/AIDS for Disabled Peoples South Africa. She has published and presented at international fora, including the XVII International AIDS Conference in Mexico City, calling for an integration of people with disabilities into the global response to the AIDS pandemic.

Myroslava graduated with a degree in Development Studies and Environmental Studies from Queen's University in 2004. She has had the privilege of working and volunteering for many inspiring organizations including the Ontario Public Interest Research Group, Katimavik, Disabled Peoples International, and The Working Centre while living in various cities across Canada. She is fluent in Ukrainian, English, and French.

Issue of Investigation

As a recipient of the 2008 Gordon Global Fellowship, Myroslava will investigate the potential role of the new UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in enhancing disabled women’s access to reproductive health care services. Her research will be informed by interviews with organizations and individual women with disabilities in Uganda, Canada, and South Africa.