Estela Vidal, Program Manager, Europe

Wexford, Ireland (via Spain)

Estela is a participatory governance and advocacy specialist with more than 20 years of experience supporting civic engagement, democratic participation, and inclusive public decision-making across Europe, Latin America, and Africa. Throughout her career, she has worked with civil society organizations, governments, and international partners to design and lead participatory processes that amplify community voices and strengthen democratic governance.

At People Powered, Estela manages programs that support governments, civil society organizations, and communities across Europe to implement inclusive and responsive participatory democracy initiatives. Through training, mentoring, and peer learning, these programs strengthen the capacity of partners to design and deliver participatory processes that ensure community perspectives are reflected in public decision-making.

Estela holds an MA in Participation, Power and Social Change from the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex. Outside of work, she enjoys long walks and hikes in nature, travelling with her family to remote, off-the-beaten-track places, and is an avid football fan with a special passion for women's football.