Nazifa Haqpal
Executive Director and CEO
Nazifa Haqpal is a former Afghan diplomat who specializes in international relations, international human rights law, social justice, and gender studies. She has over fifteen years of career experience working in governmental and non-governmental sectors in policymaking and implementation.
Her experience and expertise revolve around strategizing, managing dynamic teams and research projects, overseeing bilateral diplomacy, conducting policy analysis, and engaging in advocacy and lobbying on human rights issues, particularly women’s rights. Nazifa has served in senior positions at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan and has worked with international organizations, including UNAMA (United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan) and ActionAid International, in the areas of human rights and women’s empowerment.
She has also been a vocal advocate for Afghan women’s rights and was part of the Afghan delegation that presented Afghanistan’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) report to the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva.
Nazifa is currently a Ph.D. candidate in law at SOAS (School of Oriental and African Studies), University of London, researching legal and institutional reform in Afghanistan from a feminist perspective. She obtained her MA in International Security and Diplomacy from the University of East Anglia, United Kingdom.
Dr. Gurpreet Kaur
Director Board Member
Dr. Gurpreet Kaur is a global women’s rights expert. She received her B.A. (Hons) and M.A. degrees from the National University of Singapore and has a Ph.D. in Gender and Postcolonial Ecofeminism in Literature from the University of Warwick. She is an endometriosis survivor and was on a wheelchair for five years. Her interest in pursuing international law and policy towards justice was cemented during these years as she experienced first-hand through disability and gender bias that disempowerment can take various forms and shapes. She finished pursuing international human rights law at SOAS in 2022 In bringing all the different strands together, Gurpreet is presently working on climate justice and the politics of rights through an intersectional lens and passionately advocates for gender equality. She now also raises awareness on endometriosis and disability, and the disproportionate impact it can have on women’s careers and life opportunities. More recently, she has been using her life experiences in exploring the interconnectedness of climate justice and sexual, reproductive and health rights. She has been shortlisted for the UN Women UK award for outstanding contributions to gender equality and was also on the Climate Action Network UK’s steering committee for inclusion and human rights. In her free time, Gurpreet can be found watching Netflix, writing and travelling.
Nasifa Ahmadi
Director Board Member
Nasifa Ahmadi is a dedicated law Academic at Buckinghamshire New University (BNU) located in High Wycombe, where she lectures law to undergraduates and foundation year law students. She serves as a module leader for various modules, and to some extend to LLM students too. Sharing her passion for education and developing constantly a more understanding of legal principles as law constantly changes. Her expertise is Human Rights and Social Justice and Professional Legal Skills. Having graduated with a First Class Honours in Law from BNU and being the chosen Valedictorian in 2023, Nasifa has furthered her commitment to academia by completing a Postgraduate in Academic Practice (PGCAP) which got her the Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA). Nasifa is currently pursuing a Master’s in Education to further enhance her teaching practice and pedagogical expertise, which means to not only teach law but to also facilitate. In addition to her academic career, she regularly visit the UK Parliament, engaging with key legal and policy discussions on a monthly or bi-monthly basis. Nasifa is highly organised and career-driven, with a particular focus on advocating for the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan. Her advocacy work has taken her to the United Nations Headquarters in New York 2024, where she conducted interviews and participated in UNHQ in side-events and interviews with ACWW (Associated Country Women pf the World) to raise awareness about the education rights of Afghan women and girls and how they are being displaced due to the current situation. This research remains a central part of her work as she continues to push for their voices to be heard on a global stage.
Farzana
Director Board Member
Farzana is a distinguished Gender Studies researcher and a passionate advocate for women’s rights. She established the Gender Equality Research Organization in Afghanistan (GEROA) to advance gender equality and champion women’s rights within the region. Currently, Farzana serves as a member of the Core Advisory Group for the Association for Women’s Rights in Development (AWID) in Canada. In this role, she co-strategies and advocates for a strong, inclusive feminist funding ecosystem in South Asia. Additionally, she contributes to research on Afghan migrants through the Global Diversity and Inequality Research Centre (GDIRC) at London Metropolitan University. Farzana also holds a senior research position at ASPIRE, a leading UK-based consultancy firm specializing in expert research and consultancy services. Over the years, she has actively collaborated with both local and international organisations, driving women& capacity-building projects in Afghanistan since 2005. Her extensive experience includes serving as Chief of Staff to the Senior Advisor to the President of Afghanistan on United Nations Affairs. Farzana’s academic credentials include an MBA from Cardiff Metropolitan University and an MA in Women and Child Abuse from London Metropolitan University. Her dissertation, “Domestic Abuse Experienced by Afghan Women Living in the UK,” underscores her commitment to addressing pressing issues affecting women and children. Her research articles have been widely published in international journals, contributing significantly to global conversations on gender equality. Farzana Adell continues to inspire and shape the landscape of women rights, leaving an indelible mark both in Afghanistan and on the global stage
