Expertise: Stabilization and Peacebuilding, Development Research, Humanitarian Assistance, Transitional Justice. 

Languages: Arabic and English.

Bio: Afrah Alzouba (@Afrah_alzouba) is a Yemeni development and peacebuilding expert. She has more than 18 years of experience in managing areas of development, research, peacebuilding, with a special focus on strategic and nationwide interventions relevant to development, state-building, democratic processes, sustainable peace, and reconciliation. Her professional goal is to contribute to projects that create a sustainable impact by increasing civic participation and empowering local communities according to global values of human rights and equality. She was the first Deputy Secretary-General of the National Dialogue Conference (NDC) and a Constitutional Drafting Secretariat in Yemen. She was responsible for compiling, preparing, and finalizing the NDC outcomes document. She was among the delegation of 7 Yemeni women leaders who were invited by the UN Special envoy office in Yemen to attend Kuwait negotiations in 2017. 

Alzouba has extensive experience in working with local communities, identifying their needs, and enhancing their capacities to help themselves. Her experience in the area of development covers a wide range of issues, from poverty reduction interventions to health and education. She worked for two years in the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) where she had supervisory and follow-up duties for projects concerned with youth capacity-building and integration into political and social life. In addition to women’s empowerment and conflict reduction programs, she has also supervised projects related to the 2012 Yemeni Presidential Election. 

Alzouba supported efforts connected to Yemen’s National Reconciliation Government and preparations for Yemen’s National Dialogue Conference. She has contributed extensively to peace efforts in Yemen through participating in track 2 activities, preparing policy papers to provide ideas and proposals on how to regain peace and transition the political process, and by providing presentations and consultations on national dialogue and peacebuilding in fragile states.

Afrah is an active board member of several CSO, NGO forums, and platforms, such as SOUL for Development, Resonate Yemen, and Yemen Development Champions Forum. She is a member of a wide range of development and peacebuilding initiatives, such as the Peace Track Initiative and the Development Champions Forum. Alzouba holds a Master’s Degree in Business Management from the University of Science and Technology in Sana’a, and a Master’s Degree in Community Health from the National University in Malaysia. She completed her Bachelor’s in Pharmaceutical Sciences at Sana'a University.