Vian Ahmed is a senior humanitarian and women’s rights leader with nearly a decade of experience in founding, directing, and scaling regionally impactful programmes for women and girls affected by conflict, displacement, and humanitarian crises in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region. Currently serving as Regional Director of Lotus Flower NGO, she has played a decisive role in shaping the organisation’s vision, governance, operational systems, and strategic growth, transforming it from a start-up initiative into a regionally recognised women-led organisation operating across multiple governorates. Since 2016, she has led and overseen integrated interventions that have directly reached more than 100,000 refugee and internally displaced women and girls, delivering protection, GBV prevention and response, MHPSS, livelihoods, and leadership development programmes.

Vian brings senior-level strategic, operational, and representational leadership, with full oversight of regional programme portfolios, multi-location field operations, organisational MEAL systems, and large multidisciplinary teams exceeding 100 staff. As a core member of senior management, she contributes to organisational strategy, financial planning, risk management, safeguarding, and long-term sustainability, while ensuring full compliance with international humanitarian standards and donor requirements. She has extensive experience in resource mobilisation, including proposal development, donor reporting, and partnership building with UN agencies, international NGOs, academic institutions, and government stakeholders.

Beyond operational leadership, Vian is a recognised international advocate and policy influencer on women’s rights, gender equality, displacement, migration, and the intersection of climate change and gender-based violence. She has been selected and invited by multiple governments and diplomatic missions — including the German Federal Foreign Office, the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the U.S. Consulate General in Erbil, the Government of Canada, and European consulates — to participate in high-level advocacy missions, leadership programmes, and diplomatic forums in Germany, the Netherlands, Washington DC, and Iraq, engaging directly with parliamentarians, policymakers, donors, and senior decision-makers.

Her leadership and expertise have been recognised through highly competitive international fellowships and appointments, including selection as one of 25 women leaders globally for the Harvard Humanitarian Academy-led National NGO Programme for Humanitarian Leadership, fellowship in the Women in Conflict UNSCR 1325 programme, membership in the High Council of Women Affairs committee contributing to Iraq’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security, and ambassadorship with Days for Girls International. She is a frequent keynote speaker, panel lead, and expert contributor at high-level events organised by UN agencies, INGOs, universities, donor-funded programmes, and diplomatic missions.

Known for credible leadership, strategic vision, and the ability to bridge grassroots realities with international policy and advocacy spaces, Vian brings a rare combination of founding authority, senior management expertise, and diplomatic-level advocacy experience. Her work is grounded in feminist leadership, accountability to affected populations, and a sustained commitment to advancing the rights, protection, and meaningful participation of women and girls in humanitarian response, peacebuilding, and sustainable development.

Participant in: November/December 2020 Fellowship: Peacebuilding and Women’s Meaningful Participation in Peacebuilding Processes