Emma Symonds is a senior international development professional with over 10 years’ experience designing, managing and advising on large-scale programmes focused on disability inclusion, gender equality and climate in low and middle income countries. She currently works as Disability Inclusion Advisor and Programme Manager at CBM UK, providing technical advisory support to NGOs on inclusive programme design, MEL, and organisational change, and managing projects spanning inclusive livelihoods, climate resilience, health and rehabilitation. Previously, Emma led the £49m DFID-funded STAGES II girls’ education consortium in Afghanistan, providing strategic leadership, overseeing multi-partner delivery, and engaging with national policy processes. She has extensive experience in donor relations, consortium management, feminist leadership, safeguarding, and capacity strengthening, and has published and presented widely on inclusion, education and humanitarian response.
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Stories that help change systems
We hear from people with disabilities in Bangladesh, Nepal and Kenya who are showing what locally led change means in action. How is participatory storytelling powering locally led disability rights work?