Jida Malas is a trustee of Refugee Action Kingston in Southwest London, where she contributes to governance, strategic development, and community impact initiatives supporting refugees and people seeking asylum. Through this role, she helps strengthen programmes focused on advocacy, integration, welfare support, and empowerment, working to ensure that displaced individuals can rebuild their lives with dignity and opportunity.

Jida is currently completing a PhD in Social Anthropology at University of St Andrews. Her doctoral research explores migrants’ lived experiences in Western societies, with particular attention to identity formation, belonging, cultural negotiation, and the social and structural challenges shaping their everyday lives. Her work examines how migrants navigate shifting social landscapes, reconstruct identity, and respond to pressures related to integration, representation, and marginalisation.

Bringing together rigorous academic research and hands on community engagement, Jida bridges scholarship and practice. Her work reflects a deep commitment to social justice, inclusion, and amplifying migrant voices within both academic and civic spaces.

Participant in: November 2017 Fellowship: Peacebuilding and Women’s Meaningful Participation in Peacebuilding Processes