Blanca Méndez

Born and raised in Peru, I grew up in a society where gender inequality, discrimination and social injustice were deeply embedded. At the same time, I witnessed how environmental degradation and climate change disproportionately affect vulnerable communities whose livelihoods, cultures and wellbeing depend directly on living in harmony with nature. These experiences have shaped my lifelong commitment to social, gender, JEDI and climate justice, and my conviction that more just, sustainable and inclusive societies can only be achieved by recognising different lived realities and ensuring that those most affected have a voice in shaping solutions.

I have lived in the Netherlands since 2001 and have more than 25 years of experience in global communications, women’s rights, gender equality, sustainable development, impact finance and environmental issues within international organisations. Working across different sectors and cultural and institutional contexts has given me the opportunity to collaborate with people from diverse professional and personal backgrounds.

As a member of the Supervisory Board of Both ENDS, I hope to bring my governance and communications experience, my commitment to JEDI and gender justice, and my Global South perspective. I believe advancing JEDI requires leading by example, engaging openly and reflecting critically on organisational structures, power dynamics and decision-making. I particularly value inclusive leadership, mutual learning and creating space for locally grounded knowledge and voices.