Executive Summary

I am an accomplished gender equality, political participation, and Gender-Based Violence (GBV) prevention and response specialist with over fifteen years of international experience. My expertise lies at the intersection of gender equality, inclusive governance, and democratic resilience, with a focus on strengthening women’s and youth political leadership, inclusive electoral processes, and sustainable democracies grounded in gender justice and social inclusion. Throughout my career, I have designed and led high-impact initiatives promoting transformative gender norms and addressing patriarchal masculinities through programmatic interventions, technical advisory, advocacy, and capacity building. My technical knowledge encompasses integrating Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) into democratic governance frameworks, facilitating multi-stakeholder dialogues, and building institutional capacity across complex settings. I have spearheaded multi-million-dollar programs and collaborations with international bodies including UN Women, UNFPA, UNDP, ICMPD, UNICEF, International IDEA, European Union, and regional movements such as the MenEngage Alliance, UNITE, and HeForShe.

Recent High-Level Engagements & Advisory

In 2025, during my international engagement with International IDEA across Nairobi, Kathmandu, and Colombo, I facilitated intergenerational and multi-stakeholder dialogues centered on promoting men’s allyship to end gender inequality and violence against women and girls, while fostering inclusive elections and democratic leadership across South Asia and East Africa. My work focused on shaping evidence-based frameworks to strengthen political inclusion and gender-responsive democratic institutions. Concurrently, as a Gender-Based Violence Expert Consultant with UNFPA (2024–2025), I led comprehensive legal, policy, and political economy analyses to establish a strategic framework for GBV prevention and response in Pakistan, strengthening partnerships across government, civil society, and youth networks.

Strategic Leadership & Inclusive Governance (UNDP & UN System)

Between 2018 and 2023, serving as Senior Human Rights and Gender Inclusion Expert at UNDP Pakistan, I anchored efforts to mainstream gender equality into democratic governance, access to justice, and political participation frameworks. I expanded pathways for women’s political participation at local and provincial levels by connecting Gender Justice Committees with decision-making processes in post-conflict areas. Furthermore, I provided technical advisory on policy frameworks linking Women’s Empowerment (GEWE) with inclusive electoral participation, ensuring marginalized groups—including women, youth, and persons with disabilities—were integrated into political processes. Prior to this, as International Gender Equality Specialist (P-4) at the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office (2007–2015), I spearheaded joint UN programs, mobilizing USD 12 million for Pakistan’s first joint UN EVAW program. I also led inter-agency consultations resulting in the National Guidance Note on Gender-Responsive Electoral Processes for the Election Commission of Pakistan and the Ministry of Human Rights, aligning national frameworks with SDGs 5 and 16.

Protection & Human Rights in Fragile Contexts (ICMPD, UNICEF & EU)

My work across fragile and border settings includes serving as Senior Women and Child Protection Expert for ICMPD-UNICEF (2024–2025), where I conducted national assessments to improve protection for women and children on the move at Pakistan’s land border crossings. This involved developing context-specific EVAW capacity-building programs for border security personnel, standardizing protection knowledge across institutional actors, and establishing a multi-agency platform for holistic prevention and response. Earlier, with ICMPD-UNICEF (2016–2017) in Afghanistan, I executed a comprehensive Institutional Gender Audit for a primary national partner, developed an Evidence-Based EVAW Programmatic Framework, and led provincial consultations across diverse ethnic, government, and civil society groups. Additionally, as Senior Consultant Advisor for the European Union (2016–2017), I conducted the first Mid-Term Review of EU-supported EVAW and GEEW programs in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, authoring a forward-looking five-year empowerment strategy rooted in the humanitarian-development-peace nexus that directly influenced national policy dialogues on rural and tribal women’s economic initiatives.

Regional Strategy, Policy Advocacy & Programme Reviews

As Senior Gender Equality Consultant for MenEngage Alliance South Asia (2016–2017), I pioneered strategic knowledge development on male engagement in ending GBV, authored a national situation analysis for Pakistan, and produced regional discussion papers. My leadership culminated in authoring the first-ever MenEngage Alliance South Asia Strategic Note (2017–2022), endorsed by over 30 regional partners. In my role with Oxfam Pakistan (2016–2017), I authored the organization’s inaugural Gender Justice and EVAWG Strategic Note (2017–2022), integrating GBV prevention, women’s roles in peacebuilding, and financing for women’s empowerment across four provinces. Furthermore, as an Expert International Consultant, I led the Mid-Term Reviews for UN Women Nepal (2016–2017) and UN Women Pakistan (2014–2015), providing strategic roadmaps, evaluating Theories of Change, and facilitating strategic retreats to realign institutional priorities. As Senior Coordinator for DAI Pakistan (2015–2016), I led the execution of the Pre-SAARC Citizen’s Regional Conference on Women, Peace, and Security, facilitating the unanimous adoption of a historic WPS Resolution presented directly to the SAARC Secretary-General. Additionally, for the ILO (2015), I led consultations with parliamentarians and social partners on women’s economic empowerment and workplace care services, establishing consensus for legislative amendments and protective mechanisms.

Education & Core Expertise

I hold a Master of Arts in Comparative Cultural Studies (History of Ideas & Arts for Social Change) from the Winchester School of Art, University of Southampton, and a Bachelor of Arts in Comparative Literature, Design & Communication, Economics, and Political Science from the University of the Punjab. My core competencies encompass policy formulation, review and reform, institutional building, strategic programming, high-level advocacy, knowledge management, resource mobilization, and inter-agency coordination across women’s and youth leadership, GBV prevention, and inclusive governance.