Ruth Baldacchino is a gender justice expert with over 20 years of experience in human rights advocacy and social justice. Specialising in LGBTQI, gender, and sexuality rights, Ruth takes intersectional and multi-dimensional approaches, centring equity and justice. Pursuing a PhD in Social Justice at University College Dublin, their research examines global LGBTQI movements through decolonial feminist and queer theoretical perspectives.

As Associate Director of Programmes at the Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice, Ruth led the Intersex Human Rights Fund, supporting grantmaking, movement building, and advocacy. They were pivotal in drafting and implementing Malta’s Gender Identity, Gender Expression, and Sex Characteristics Act, which has become a global benchmark for progressive gender legislation.

A former Co-Secretary General of ILGA World and lecturer of queer studies, Ruth has contributed to policymaking and academic discourse, focusing on advancing the rights of LGBTQI individuals, sex workers, and other marginalised communities through a blend of activism, scholarship, and advocacy.