About me
I am a feminist interdisciplinary researcher, and development planner with over fourteen years of experience advancing women's rights in conflict and displacement contexts. As a Syrian woman and refugee, I bring lived experience alongside technical expertise in gender justice and decolonial approaches.
I am currently pursuing a PhD in Development Planning and Gender Policy at UCL, researching how development agencies shape inheritance rights for displaced Syrian women. My work centers displaced women as knowledge producers, employing participatory and intersectional methodologies.
I hold an MSc in Development Administration and Planning (UCL, Chevening Scholar) and have held senior managerial and gender advisory roles at INGOs e.g Christian Aid, GIZ, WILPF, and Expertise France. I have led capacity strengthening for women-led organizations, conducted gender analysis and policy advocacy at the UN and European Parliament, and supported feminist movement resourcing across the MENA region.
My current work spans multiple countries in the MENA region, with focus on Syria. focusing on feminist peacebuilding, women's economic and political empowerment, and advancing gender justice through participatory research and advisory services.
I am a feminist interdisciplinary researcher, and development planner with over fourteen n years of experience advancing gender justice and women's rights in conflict and displacement contexts across the MENA region. As a Syrian woman and refugee, I bring lived experience alongside academic and professional expertise that uniquely positions me to support decolonial approaches to development and research.
I am currently pursuing a PhD in Development Planning and Gender Policy at UCL, focusing on how development agencies shape the rights and inheritance claims for displaced Syrian women in conflict settings. My research employs feminist and decolonial methodologies that center displaced women as knowledge producers, examining the intersection of development governance, humanitarian intervention, and women's rights. Previously, I completed an MSc in Development Administration and Planning at UCL as a Chevening Scholar (UKFCDO, 2022).
My academic positioning is strengthened by fellowships from the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy (2023-2024), Beyond Borders Scotland (2022), and the Swedish Institute (2018), where I developed expertise in feminist peacebuilding, gender justice, and women, peace and security frameworks.
Throughout my career, I have held gender advisory and management positions at international organisations including Christian Aid (Syria country manager), GIZ (technical advisor and WPS expert), WILPF (MENA programme Manager), Chemonics International, and Expertise France. I have led work on feminist movement resourcing, gender analysis and mainstreaming, capacity strengthening for women-led and women's rights organizations, and gender-responsive policy advocacy at the UN Human Rights Council and European Parliament. I am particularly experienced in designing and implementing participatory, intersectional approaches to gender analysis, feminist facilitation, trauma-informed research methods, and capacity building with civil society in the Global South.
My current research and advisory work spans Syria, and the wider Middle East, with a commitment to advancing knowledge produced by and for displaced and marginalised women navigating conflict, displacement, and development interventions.