Dr. Sawsan Al-Refaei is expert in public policy, strategy, and advocacy with extensive experience supporting governments, civil society organizations, the United Nations, and international institutions across North America, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

She has led the development of long-term public strategies, crafted comprehensive development and humanitarian plans, and designed accountability and performance frameworks for international, national and local governing bodies. Her expertise includes the design and implementation of third-party monitoring projects in humanitarian and emergency contexts. Over the course of 15 years, Dr. Al-Refaei has effectively utilized human rights mechanisms and equity-based frameworks to inform planning and financing strategies for governments. She has led and pioneered multiple government equity strategies in Yemen and Canada.

Dr. Al-Refaei is a lecturer, trainer, and high-caliber consultant in gender and racial equity. She is also a leading practitioner and researcher in the Women, Peace, and Security domain, contributing to the integration of gender-sensitive approaches into peacebuilding and conflict prevention.

She holds master’s degree in policy, Planning, and Financing from the London School of Economics, as well as a diploma in Population and Gender Studies from the University of Costa Rica.