Ruth Watson

Ruth Watson began her career working with community and local organisations in child protection in Latin America and brings more than 10 years of EU policy influencing and communications. Her experience influencing development policy with a focus on the impact of intersectional exclusion factors on development and human rights outcomes inspires ongoing collaboration with networks across external action sectors. 

Since 2018, she manages the humanitarian policy and advocacy for ACT Alliance EU - a network of 12 relief and development organisations - which is also part of the global ACT Alliance of +135 multi-mandated organisations. With this, she offers experience in membership engagement, connecting the expertise of in-country community and local partners to international advocacy spaces, and conducting collective policy analysis and advocacy on systemic issues affecting the humanitarian sector. 

Ruth Watson is a member of ACT Alliance's Global Humanitarian Reference Group, and is closely engaged with the Local2Global Survivor and Community Led Response Platform co-developed by ACT personnel. In the last four years, her engagement with VOICE has centred on the work of the Resilience & Nexus and Humanitarian Partnerships groups, as well as facilitation of ad hoc exchange opportunities for the membership on engagement with diverse civil society in countries affected by crisis. 

She holds a Master's Degree in the Politics and Governance of International Development from the University of Manchester, UK, and training in Humanitarian operations with various NGOs.