Melissa Alvarado is the Ending Violence against Women (EVAW) Regional Programme Manager at UN Women, Asia-Pacific Regional Office. Melissa has been working specifically on ending violence against women and children for over 18 years, through programme management and design, policy and legislative development and implementation, interagency response system development, technical assistance, capacity building, advocacy and research. Prior to joining the Asia-Pacific office, Melissa managed UN Women’s EVAW portfolio in the Pacific and subsequently provided dedicated technical support to UN Women in Afghanistan. Melissa worked for UN Women headquarters in the Policy Division on EVAW; for UNFPA in Sudan, managing gender-based violence programmes in conflict settings; and with international NGOs in Thailand and Kosovo working with refugees and people affected by conflict. Melissa has experience in addressing child abuse, particularly multi-disciplinary approaches to prevention and investigation of child sexual abuse and fatalities. From the United States, Melissa holds a Master’s degree in Social Work and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, and was drawn to this work by her experiences advocating for and supporting survivors of violence against women and children in crisis.