CO-FOUNDER & DIRECTOR | CONNECTJUSTICE

What do you do as the Director of ConnectJustice?

ConnectJustice is a social enterprise working with communities, civil society and state agencies to build trust and collaboration around issues of social justice, with a focus on extremism and exploitation. We achieve this through research, evaluation, training and facilitation. This means I get to work with people from many different backgrounds and sectors, on a range of projects at any one time. This might include: research with academic partners, such as our study with former violent extremists and their families; our regular forums to facilitate learning and trust-building between different community organisations, activists and state agencies; and our training projects for young people around political and social engagement

CONSULTANT / FOUNDER & CHIEF EMPOWERMENT OFFICER | THE GLOBAL GIRLS PROJECT

You describe yourself as a bridge builder, collaborator and idea architect. How does that translate, career-wise?

Whether working on a long-term economic development plan, leveraging policy to create local economic opportunity or developing a large scale advocacy campaign, it’s about seeing points of connection between ideas/people/data, solving problems, cultivating strategic relationships with others, and leveraging them for collective impact. It’s figuring out where there’s a gap, a need or a problem, then harnessing resources to create new opportunities for growth and development.

GENDER, PEACE AND SECURITY ADVISER | SAFERWORLD

You advise Saferworld on gender, peace and security. What does that entail?

I’m a member of Saferworld’s policy team, based in our headquarters in London. I do research and analysis looking at the relationships between gender and conflict in the various countries where Saferworld works. I then use those findings to influence policymakers in governments and multilateral organisations like the United Nations in order to shape their approaches to building peace and security. I also advise my colleagues at Saferworld on how to include a gender perspective in their work – that is, I help them to think through how to take into account the different needs, interests and experiences of women, men, boys and girls and promote gender equality.

SENIOR CRISIS ADVISOR | AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL

This interview was conducted whilst Lama Fakih was a Syria and Lebanon Researcher at Human Rights Watch. Lama has now left this position to become a Senior Crisis Advisor at Amnesty International.

SENIOR ADVOCACY ADVISER | CENTER FOR REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS

What do you do as Senior Advocacy Advisor for the Center for Reproductive Rights?

My position mainly involves lobbying States and UN staff on resolutions and decisions adopted by the UN bodies in Geneva, in particular the Human Rights Council. The Center for Reproductive Rights’ mandate is to use the law to advance reproductive freedom of women as fundamental human rights. This includes advocacy towards the UN as a critical space for recognising and advancing progressive norms and policies. I also develop advocacy strategies to influence international human rights mechanisms to include the most progressive language towards the realisation of women’s human rights and reproductive rights and respond to growing conservative opposition to women’s human rights at the UN.