Iyali Bachir Saadi works as a Gender, Protection & Empowerment Coordinator with Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) in Northeast Syria, where she leads integrated programming on gender-based violence (GBV), protection, and countering violent extremism across Raqqa, Deir-ez-Zor, Al-Hasakah, and other conflict-affected regions. With over eight years of humanitarian and development experience, she has coordinated Women & Girls Safe Spaces, case management services, community-based protection committees, and economic empowerment initiatives, while ensuring gender-responsive approaches are mainstreamed across sectors. As NPA’s PSEA focal point, she also drives accountability and safeguarding systems.

Iyala holds an MA in Gender, Violence, and Conflict from the University of Sussex as a Chevening Scholar (2023/24). Her research focused on women’s agency in GBV case management in Syria, reflecting her commitment to amplifying local voices and advancing feminist, intersectional approaches in conflict-affected contexts. Iyala’s work combines practice, research, and advocacy, engaging with local civil society and international actors to influence policy and practice. Recently she has been contributing in drafting the Gender Strategy across Syria alongside with other NGOs. Through the Fellowship, she seeks to deepen her contribution to global dialogues on women’s leadership in peacebuilding, transitional justice, and gender equality in fragile and conflict-affected settings.