As a Technical Advisor for Technology Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV), Rachel Bowen leads technical activities for the Transform activity and provides guidance on addressing TFGBV in programs and proposals across IREX.

Rachel has worked and conducted research in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Panamá for more than 20 years. Her work focused on government and civil society responses to Gender-Based violence, human rights enforcement, anti-corruption, and rule of law promotion. This work incorporated the perspectives of activists, civil society leaders, lawyers, police, prosecutors, and judges through interviews, surveys, reports, and online and offline communications.

Rachel has also led and evaluated an 18-month cohort program to prepare rising institutional leaders with an emphasis on women and minoritized groups. She managed and evaluated a Training of Trainers program to engage male allies for women’s advancement. Prior to joining IREX, Rachel was a professor of Political Science, teaching courses on Gender and Politics. She is committed to making knowledge and research widely accessible and has contributed to USAID for Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning activities; prepared expert witness testimony; and provided interviews for radio and print outlets.

Rachel earned a J.D. and Ph.D. in comparative government from Georgetown University, focusing on national and international efforts to build human rights and the rule of law in Central America. She has published scholarly articles, book chapters, and a book on Central America based on her expertise in the region.