Raya Barazanji

Raya Barazanji "is an Iraqi-Americn who immigrated to the US in 1990. She has 20 years experience working in the non-profit and international NGO sector and currently works as a private consultant to a number of NGOs in the Washington, DC area. Previously she served as the Chief Operating Officer of the Iraq Foundation, a non-profit, non-governmental organization working to advance and support democracy and human rights in Iraq. In that capacity, she led the organization's teams in implementing projects in Iraq that focused on democracy, human rights, civil society strengthening and the revitalization of the Iraqi education and school systems.

"As an avid advocate for women's rights, Raya is a member of several international women's advocacy organizations and works earnestly to promote the rights of women and children in Iraq. She holds a BA in Translation and a Masters in International Law & Diplomacy. She lives in Arlington, VA with her family."

• Director, WAFDI