Zahra Al Hilaly is a voice for gender equality and believes storytelling is the greatest tool for change. A proud Palestinian and Iraqi woman, Zahra is committed to ensuring marginalized perspectives are amplified in traditionally exclusive spaces. Zahra comes with over seven years of experience working with young people to flourish inclusive change through our very culture, stories, and spirituality. She currently acts as the Chief Executive Officer for Oaktree Australia, the largest youth-run organisation in the country, where she focuses on empowering young people from the Asia and the Pacific region to become leaders in governance and policy. Zahra also works as a Global Consultant for Women Deliver, where she is working to create a youth-centred conference, utilising cultural practices to decolonize advocacy at the largest gender-equality conference in Kigali this year.  

Zahra is currently a Duke University fellow, working on the intersection of climate justice and inter-cultural and inter-religious practices, particularly working with Australia’s rural, refugee community to create an inclusive movement. Beyond the gender space, Zahra has previously worked as an investigative journalist and currently holds a Bachelor of Law and a Bachelor of Communications. As a slam-poet and inclusion consultant focussing on decolonisation as a practice for creating equitable communities, Zahra has previously curated the Propel Youth Arts Festival as the Western Australia Ambassador, ensuring the voices of 600,000 young people are heard. Zahra sits on the boards of Missing Perspectives, an online newsroom for women, and the Australian Youth Climate Coalition, the largest climate-advocacy group in the country. In 2023, Zahra was also named the youngest-ever recipient of the Australian Women in Excellence Awards and in 2021, she was named the first-ever Young Asian-Australian of the Year. 

Participant in: August 2023 Fellowship: The Arts as a Tool for Peacebuilding