I am a doctoral student in the Department of Political Science with Gender Studies Specialization at McGill University and a research associate at GLOBALCIT at the European University Institute. My research has been supported by Mitacs Globalink, Centre for the Study of Democratic Citizenship (CSDC), and Women in International Security (WIIS). My research focuses on the practices of women refugees’ empowerment policies in the Middle East. I am also interested in gender and migration policies, international practices of the refugee regime, and humanitarian development initiatives. I hold an MA in Political Science at McGill University and studied philosophy and sociology at the Middle East Technical University and Sciences Po Paris for my undergraduate studies. I have always enjoyed gardening, going to the movies, reading and writing poetry.
I was very keen on becoming involved with LERRN because I believe that there is always a great deal of things that we can gain from the collaboration, recognizing local histories and knowledge, and encouraging the refugees and various humanitarian actors’ participation in knowledge production and policymaking processes. LERRN’s commitment to genuine collaboration between partners, researchers, and refugees puts it in an exceptional position to realize what I have been interested in doing.
I have worked on the localization of humanitarian assistance in Tanzania in the summer of 2019. I was hoping to learn how international norms have been implemented in various local contexts. LERRN has given me a unique opportunity to have experience in observing the strengths and needs of local and international humanitarian actors in Tanzania, developing equal and ethical research partnership, conducting fieldwork, and being a part of an international team. My research placement has also led me to translate my theoretical training into practical use, which I particularly find essential for my professional development. I have also had a chance to prepare a literature review for LERRN on the relationship between humanitarian and development approaches to durable solutions for refugees.