Alaa Assani is a Gender Housing, Lands and Property rights (HLP) Expert with a focus on women’s IDPs and refugees in conflict-affected areas through her work with GIZ for four years combined with her theoretical experience in her MSc on the Gendered Impact of conflict on women in relation to their HLP rights, where she wrote many assignments in this field. Alaa has established and managed an HLP Women Working group to address women’s HLP challenges.

Currently, Alaa is working as the Resourcing the Feminist Movement Manager at Women International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) in the MENA region with a focus on Syria. Alaa is a feminist dedicated to applying intersectional, bottom-up and participatory holistic resourcing approaches in her work to make a change for women and advance feminist peace in Syria and MENA region by supporting women-led organisations and newly emerged grassroots groups by supporting their local feminist agendas and advocacy opportunities.

Besides her professional and academic experience, Alaa is usually described as an energetic person who spreads humour and positive energy around! Furthermore, she is a happy mother of Sam (who is 3 years old), a food and travel lover, and is interested in photography and socialising!

Participant in: November/December 2022 Fellowship: Peacebuilding and Women’s Meaningful Participation in Peacebuilding Processes