Advocacy Bootcamp

Partner Ambassador for Inclusion at Irwin Mitchel LLP

Alison is Partner Ambassador for Inclusion and former London Managing Partner for Irwin Mitchell. After opening the London office in 1995 she established and until very recently led the medical negligence team in London.

 Championing diversity, inclusion and social mobility within the legal profession has been central to her work. In 2008 Alison helped set up the  Diversity & Inclusion Board and led the  Gender Equality Group for many years. Today, Irwin Mitchell is the only top 50 UK law firm where over 50% of its partners are women.  

Recognitions include winning the 2024 Legal 500 ESG Lifetime Achievement Award for Women in Law.

Executive Director at GHRH

A multi-award-winning King’s Counsel, in March 2022, Sultana Tafadar became the first hijab-wearing criminal barrister to attain the rank of ‘Silk’. Tafadar is considered one of the foremost experts in counter terrorism and national security cases. She also has an extensive practice across human rights. criminal justice and public international law. Tafadar advises and acts for individuals, states, NGOs, multinational corporations and other national and international bodies, appearing in courts at all levels.

In 2023, Tafadar co-founded the Girls Human Rights Hub with her now 12-year-old daughter.

 Tafadar is the winner of Barrister of the Year, Inspirational Women in Law Awards, 2022; Winner of the Professions Category, Asian Women of Achievement, 2021; HERoes Top 100 Women Future Leaders, 2021; finalist in BSN Lawyer of the Year (Chambers), UK Legal Diversity Awards, 2021; finalist in Outstanding Woman in Professional category sponsored by Baker McKenzie, Precious Awards 2021.

A grassroots coach, co-founder & sports activist

Lipa Nessa is a dynamic, football enthusiast on a mission to drive change. With the mantra "I'm going to change the world with a hijab on my head and a ball at my feet," she's a former semi-professional player turned grassroots coach and sports activist. Lipa's impactful work spans communities, promoting inclusivity through football. She's a pivotal voice on sports boards, shaping education, policy, and innovation. Lipa embodies the fusion of sports and social progress, inspiring a global movement. This year, The Sweaty Betty Foundation, with Lipa, created a newly designed Sports Hijab empowering even more women and girls to get fit and stay fit, for life.

Activist working to end the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM)

Shamsa Araweelo is an internationally recognised social activist, advocate, and survivor of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). A tireless campaigner for survivors' rights, they were honoured as one of the BBC 100 Women of 2023 and awarded the prestigious Girls' Human Rights Award in 2024 for their unwavering commitment to advancing the rights of girls worldwide. In recognition of their impactful work, they also received an Honorary Fellowship from the University of Winchester.

As the author of Pieces of Us: FGM Education, Survivor Stories, and Healing Journeys, Shamsa Araweelo shares powerful narratives that educate, inspire, and advocate for change. With deep expertise in FGM and harmful practices, they believe survivors are not only resilient but are the driving force behind ending these practices globally.

Policy and Campaigns Officer, Liberty Human Rights

Jodie Beck is Policy and Campaigns Officer at Liberty where she leads on protest rights and the decriminalisation of poverty. Jodie convened the award-winning Police Bill Alliance which brought together over 200 organisations in opposition to the anti-protest measures in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022, leading to 14 Government defeats in the House of Lords in January 2022. Previously, Jodie worked at Women in Prison where she led campaigns to reduce the women's prison population and grow the network of community-based women's centres across England and Wales.

Social entrepreneur, philanthropist, speaker and coach

Dr. Zareen Roohi Ahmed is a visionary entrepreneur, author and philanthropist with over 25 years of diverse experience. Holding a PhD in multiculturalism, specialising in women's rights, her career spans significant roles from leading urban regeneration projects to advocating on international platforms in various senior roles.

 Winner of the WISE 100, NatWest Social Business Woman of the Year Award 2024, Zareen's profound commitment to social change is exemplified in her founding of Gift Wellness Ltd., a pioneering social enterprise that challenges period poverty across the world with its natural, sustainable menstrual products.

Zareen’s work is inspired by her daughter Halimah, who tragically passed way at the age of 19. Under her leadership, over 6 million menstrual products have reached women in need, powered by her innovative period poverty charity, the Gift Wellness Foundation and its community-led Period Angels app.

 Beyond her enterprise, Zareen has initiated a cutting-edge program to combat inequity in the workplace, blending reproductive rights and inclusion with VR technology for immersive experiences.

 A respected Keynote Speaker on Social Impact, Women in the Workplace, and Sustainability, her work transcends business, embodying a profound narrative of resilience and hope.

Zareen is the author of number one Amazon bestselling book, ‘The Gift, One woman’s journey from tragedy to building a global business for good’. The book, chosen as a finalist for the 2024 Business Book Awards, is a culmination of her life’s work, and offers invaluable insights into turning adversity into opportunity, reflecting her unwavering dedication to creating a more equitable and compassionate world.

Global Head of Media, Equality Now Organisation

Tara Carey joined Equality Now in November 2016. She is a charity communications specialist with extensive experience in public relations, multimedia production and international development. She has worked with many leading international NGOs and grassroots organizations, and previous roles include Editorial Team Manager at Comic Relief and Media Relations Manager at Farm Africa. The first ten years of her career were spent making programs for British television and her content has featured widely across TV, radio, print and online. Tara holds a Master’s in Global Media and Postnational Communication from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), and a B.S. in Sociology from Manchester University. She is also a Trustee at YESS, a London-based youth charity.

By shining a spotlight on discrimination and mobilizing people to take a stand against injustice around the world, Tara believes the media can play a vital role in bringing about positive social change for women and girls. Tara’s inspiration is her mother, who built a successful career in advertising during the 1970’s and 1980’s while juggling the demands of being a single parent. At that time there was very little support for working mothers and sexism was rife. She was a great role model for Tara and a trailblazer who helped open the way for women to come.

 Outside of the office, Tara is a keen photographer, and enjoys documentaries, travel and spending time with family and friends.

Employment and equalities specialist, Old Square Chambers

Eleena Misra KC is a leading Employment & Equalities and Professional Discipline & Regulation barrister acknowledged in the directories as having “developed a strong reputation for handling employment disputes that require specialist knowledge of either the education or healthcare sector” (Chambers & Partners). In addition, she spent the first fifteen years of practice also undertaking commercial work, which places her in a unique position in relation to both private and public sector employers and gives her an unusual breadth of strategic insight and experience.

 She is ranked as a leader in both of her principal practice areas, which are complementary to each other and to the high-quality public law work which Eleena also undertakes.

Queen's College Mini Hub Representative and Co-Founder of Girls Human Rights Hub

Safiyah is 11 years old and the Co-Founder of GHRH. Safiyah has always been driven by the desire to become a human rights lawyer. She came up with the idea of creating a Hub where girls could learn more about their rights and how to claim them.

She loves representing and advocating on behalf of her peers. She has represented her year group on the School Council for two years. She has been a Form Captain and was voted vice House Captain this year. She is a Digital Ambassador at her school and has recently taken on the role of Inclusivity Ambassador. She loves debating and is a Lamda scholar,

Safiyah is super-excited by the Hub and is looking forward to changing the world!

Young Experts Alumni and GHRH Campus & Minihubs Coordinator

Jo is graduate student from Columbia University and works at Integrity Global an international development consultancy and research firm. She helps manage the monitoring and evaluation of humanitarian programmes, mainly in Afghanistan. She specialises in research on GESI topics. She joined The Girls Human Rights Hub in 2022 as a Young Expert and now coordinates the Mini-Hub and Ambassadors programmes.

Young Experts Alumni and YE Programme Coordinator

Roksanna Keyvan is the Young Expert Programme Coordinator at the Girls Human Rights Hub (GHRH), supporting the management of the 2024-2025 Young Experts cohort.

As the U.S. representative in GHRH’s inaugural Young Experts cohort, she was selected from a competitive global pool for her expertise in human rights research, legal affairs, and advocacy. She has conducted key research on girls' rights, contributed to legal and policy analysis, and helped develop gender-based advocacy resources.

President & Campus Ambassador, Aston Girls Human Right Hub

Huda Feysal is the President of the Girls' Human Rights Mini Hub Society at Aston University, Birmingham. Currently in her final year of law studies, she is dedicated to advancing human rights advocacy on campus and beyond.

At last year's Girls Human Rights Festival, Huda won a giveaway for a two-day mini-pupillage with a barrister from Doughty Street Chambers, further strengthening her legal experience and commitment to justice.

GHRH Young Expert

Renee holds an undergraduate degree in Law with European Law and is currently a Bar Practice Course student. She has studied numerous international and human rights modules in both the UK and the Netherlands. Over the years, she has dedicated her time to pro bono work, assisting underrepresented and overlooked groups. She has worked with organizations such as Advocate, Amicus, and The AIRE Centre.

 Currently, Renee is a Young Expert at the Girls Human Rights Hub, working on a campaign to empower survivors of sexual assault by providing them with clear, accessible information about their legal rights, the laws that protect them, and the processes they will encounter. Her work aims to bridge the information gap that often leaves survivors feeling unsupported and vulnerable during legal proceedings.

In addition to supporting survivors, Renee is committed to raising awareness among the wider public, including law students and those without a legal background, about the tools and resources available to combat sexual assault in Scotland and across the UK. Through this campaign, she seeks to encourage systemic change by highlighting the shortcomings survivors face within the legal system and advocating for improved accessibility, understanding, and sensitivity in legal processes and organizations.