October 7, 2026 | 10:00–11:30 AM EDT | 5:00–6:30 PM Damascus | 4:00–5:30 PM CET
Register here
This Voices for Change session brings together Syrian financial expertise and global experience in Women, Peace, and Security to explore the connections between women’s participation, peacebuilding, and financial governance. The discussion will examine how sound financial institutions, effective oversight, transparency, and inclusive decision-making can contribute to stability and recovery, while highlighting the importance of ensuring women have a meaningful role in shaping Syria’s institutions.
The conversation will also consider lessons from international Women, Peace, and Security practice and how they can inform Syria’s transition, with particular attention to institutional accountability, women’s leadership, and the development of systems that serve all communities.
Keynote Speakers
Abeer Asaad — Financial Expert
Abeer Asaad is a distinguished financial expert with over 14 years of experience specializing in financial auditing, regulatory compliance, and banking supervision. She holds a Master’s degree in Finance and Banking from the Higher Institute of Business Administration (HIBA).
During her tenure at the Central Bank of Syria, she served as Head of the Off-Site Banking Supervision Division, where she led a team of auditors overseeing the Syrian banking sector, including public and private, conventional and Islamic banks, as well as microfinance institutions. Her expertise includes IFRS and IAS standards, Basel frameworks, risk assessment, early warning indicators, and internal control systems, contributing to stronger financial governance and effective regulatory oversight.
Sahana Dharmapuri — Peacebuilding and Public Policy Expert
Sahana Dharmapuri is a peacebuilding and public policy expert with more than 20 years of experience advancing human rights and women’s rights globally. She serves as Vice President of Our Secure Future and Vice President of the PAX sapiens Foundation.
Recognized as a leading global authority on Women, Peace, and Security (WPS), Sahana spearheaded the establishment of the first bipartisan WPS Congressional Caucus to advance the U.S. Women, Peace, and Security Act. She advises the U.S. government—including the Department of Defense, State Department, and Congress—as well as foreign militaries and NGOs on integrating women’s rights and preventing violence in conflict settings. A widely published scholar, she has been recognized among the top 100 feminists worldwide and served as a Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School’s Carr Center for Human Rights.