Samra Sheikh

WORK HISTORY

EDUCATION

ABOUT SAMRA SHEIKH

Samra Sheikh (pronounced Summ-ra Shayk) has extensive international experience and witnessed first-hand the impact of violence, displacement, and trauma on the lives of war victims — which guides her work on women, youth, education, reconciliation and empowerment, specifically in post-conflict countries. Samra has over seven years of experience working internationally and in Canada in various sectors, including not-for-profit, NGOs, think tanks and higher education institutions. She has served with the Royal Canadian Airforce and has recently received many awards for her leadership and dedication to advancing economic resilience and women\'s empowerment. She has received the Changing Lives award from Royal Roads University, recognizing her academic excellence, leadership, and outstanding contribution to the international and Canadian community.Samra has collaborated and worked on further research and policy development projects and has published a thesis titled \"Empowering Women through Microfinance in Post-conflict Bosnia and Herzegovina.\" Using a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach, the research examines the impact of microfinance on women and empowerment, the alleviation of poverty and the contribution that women make in reducing poverty levels and bringing socioeconomic change to borrowers in post-conflict BiH. Samra\'s Doctorate thesis will examine the perceptions and challenges of educators on peace education in post-genocide Rwanda, how women influence the delivery and reception of peace education and what roles women play in the advocacy and implementation process.Samra holds a Master of Arts in Human Security and Peacebuilding from Royal Roads University; and is currently a Doctoral (EdD) candidate in the International Educational Leadership and Policy program at the OISE University of Toronto. She holds a Business Analysis post-graduate certificate from the Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) and a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from York University. Samra has over ten years of experience in not-for-profit management, operations and research and has made significant contributions to emergency relief in Canada and led the COVID-19 response during the pandemic in Toronto for the Canadian Red Cross in collaboration with the government of Canada (PHAC). Her experience in international development as a minority woman in Canada inspired her passion and work with many refugees (especially women and youth) and immigrant communities through education.