Join us as we listen to Syrian and Afghan women in dialogue, sharing their insights, best practices, and calls to action for building a future rooted in resilience and transformation.
Speakers Palwasha Hassan and Sema Nassar will reflect on their experiences of leading through moments of profound transition. Coming from two regions that have faced conflict, upheaval, and shifting political landscapes, these women will share how they have mobilized communities, built resilient civil society structures, and drawn on the strength of diaspora networks to sustain hope and drive change.
The dialogue will spotlight the critical role of women’s leadership in contexts of transition, explore the lessons learned from their journeys and the strategies that have enabled them to transform challenges into opportunities for stronger, more inclusive communities.
Sema Nassar
Sema Nassar is a human rights defender with a focus on detainees and forcibly disappeared persons. Since the early stages of the Syrian conflict, she worked on documenting human rights violations and sexual violence in detention centers. Sema contributed to numerous reports and policy papers on documentation, gender-sensitive accountability, and legislation concerning missing persons, including work with the Conflict and Civicness Research Group at LSE IDEAS. She is a co-founder of multiple initiatives, such as the ‘We’ Network for WHRD in the MENA region and Urnammu for Justice and Human Rights. Sema continues to share her expertise with civic actors and support feminist initiatives in the diaspora, and serves as an investigator with Dar Justice and as a research consultant at the LSE Middle East Centre.
Palwasha Hassan
Palwasha Hassan is Senior Technical and Program Director for Mina’s List, overseeing global program implementation. With over 26 years of experience in gender, development, humanitarian aid, and peacebuilding, she has held leadership roles including Executive Director of the Afghan Women’s Educational Center and founding member of the Afghan Women’s Network. She helped establish the women’s quota in Afghanistan’s constitution and launched Roazana, the country’s first women’s legal support organization. Hassan has also facilitated regional dialogues in Pakistan, Iran, and Central Asia to promote human rights, peace, and democracy. A Nobel Peace Prize nominee in 2005, she was a finalist for the Sakharov Prize and received the Hillary Rodham Clinton Award for exceptional leadership. She holds a master’s in Post-war Recovery Studies from York University, UK.
📅 September 18, 2025
🕒10-11:30 AM New York | 5-6:30 PM Damascus | 4-5:50 PM CET
💻 Register using the following link.
