Shatha Alowda (Arabic – شذا العودة), was born and raised in Palestine, and currently works as Assistant Program Officer-Mercy Corps Global/ Middle East Programs’ Team, based in Washington, DC. She has 4+ years of working experience in managing and implementing developmental and humanitarian programs in Palestine. Shatha holds a graduate degree in Gender and Development Studies, and has worked on programs relevant to gender justice, documentation of human rights violations, psychosocial support for women and children, women socio-economic and political empowerment, and strengthening women-led cooperatives in Palestine. Shatha has also taken part in co-authoring and developing different publications; one of which is a research study that focused on assessing Palestinian women’s ownership of and access to land and productive resources. As part of her active engagement with the Palestinian civil society, she has taken a leading role in organizing and implementing advocacy campaigns calling for ending all forms of violence against women and girls. Shatha is passionate about addressing and transforming unjust social structures restricting women’s empowerment. In her free time, Shatha enjoys the outdoors by going on hiking trips, exploring the world of photography, and reading.

Participant in: March 2023 Fellowship: Climate Change, Gender, and Conflict