Executive Director & Host
As the first woman in her family to immigrate from Pakistan, Hijab is a devoted and passionate advocate for women rights and equity for all. Since the age of fourteen, she has been involved in health equity efforts which included spending summers at trust hospitals in Pakistan which are run on community donations and are established to provide free health care to the underprivileged living in the city and those in small villages nearby. After immigrating to pursue her education, Hijab organized an Equity Summit at the University of Richmond, the first summit of its kind in the 190-year history of the institution, for which she got the Distinguished Leader award from the dean’s office and an Activism for Change award from the office of civic engagement. Hijab holds a BSc. in Biology with a pre-medical track from University of Richmond and is currently a medical researcher at Columbia University in NYC.
External Relations Ambassador
Masuma Payamon is a Hazara from Afghanistan who migrated to the United Kingdom at the age of 8. Masuma is passionate about human rights and is a dedicated activist. Through her artwork and social media marketing, she raises awareness on social issues in Afghanistan, including women’s rights and ethnic minorities such as the Hazaras. As a member of the Afghan communities in the United Kingdom, particularly the Hazara Council of Great Britain, Masuma has assisted in raising money for different charities to help people in Afghanistan. Since the Taliban's takeover in Afghanistan, she has supported many vulnerable Afghan families in their evacuation process. Masuma holds a BSc in Psychology from Bangor University and has recently graduated from the University of Oxford with an MSc in Neuroscience.
Founding Member
An ardent advocate for gender and sexuality rights, Siddhi strongly believes in the power of storytelling in inspiring change. She co-founded India’s first Gay-Straight Alliance at the school level and started an international e-magazine for LGBT+ youth to connect that had contributions from over 17 countries. She is a Global Changemaker and has been running her NGO called Project Voice+ for the past 4 years. Siddhi is a Development Sector professional working at the United Nations Foundation & Queen’s Commonwealth Trust, with an MSc in Social and Organisational Psychology from LSE. She has an entrepreneurial mindset and a service minded approach, which helped her gain work experience at international organisations with a focus on social justice projects through strategic consultancy, project management and data driven research.
Founder
Lina Tori Jan is a social entrepreneur, public speaker, and advocate for equality and human rights, with a focus on the rights of women, girls, and refugees. She currently leads the implementation of Georgetown University’s new Afghanistan initiative, Onward for Afghan Women, elevating and supporting Afghan women leaders with opportunities to continue their advocacy on behalf of Afghan women and girls. She currently serves on the Board of RefugePoint, an international NGO that supports refugees in more than 30 countries, and as an Advisor to the Oxford Character Project, lending expertise in values-based leadership. Lina holds a Master of Public Policy from the University of Oxford, and a B.A. in Leadership Studies and Political Science from the University of Richmond.
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