About Sequoia
Sequoia Ayala, JD, MA (She/Her/Hers/Ella/Ela) is the Director of Operations for Move to End Violence. A mover and a shaker, Sequoia brings 8+years of diverse experiences in organizational management, movement lawyering and facilitating change for and with women and communities of color. Her commitment to gender and racial justice is rooted in her deep respect and appreciation for all people.
Prior to joining the MEV team, Sequoia was the Director of Policy and Advocacy at SisterLove in Atlanta, GA, where she worked collaboratively with community members, elected officials, researchers, and policymakers in advancement of the health, well-being, and human rights of Black women and women of color. While at SisterLove, she worked to strengthen the organization’s internal and external systems to improve program service delivery and effectiveness. She also acted as the co-Project Principal Investigator for the GAMA (Georgia Access to Medication Abortion) Project and has presented nationally on facilitating successful partnerships for community-led abortion research.
Sequoia has a juris doctorate from the American University Washington College of Law and a master’s degree in International Development from the AU School of International Service. Sequoia is a passionate defender of human rights and has led justice-centered projects for and with people living with HIV, survivors of gender-based violence, and immigrant and refugee communities in the Deep South and Global South. Sequoia has presented locally and nationally on a myriad of issues including applying reproductive justice to the practice of law; HIV-specific criminal laws, health disparities in communities of color, among others. Fluent in English, Spanish, and Brazilian Portuguese, she is licensed to practice law in Georgia. In her free time, she enjoys singing and dancing són and admiring her plant babies in her home garden. She lives in Georgia with her husband, three children, and dog Nina.
Sequoia is the Vice Chair of the Board of Directors for the Atlanta/ Fulton County Pre-Arrest Diversion Initiative. She is also a newly elected member of the National Women’s Health Network’s Board of Directors.
