Isabella Irtifa

Isabella Irtifa specializes in the fields of gender equality, human rights, and transitional justice. With her deep commitment to activism and community organizing, she is dedicated to enhancing human rights and dignity. Isabella has front-line experience in both the public and private sectors managing large-scale research projects, and has been involved in building partnerships, forwarding strategies for gender-responsive programming, grant writing, and advocating for women’s rights.

While working with Amnesty International, she spearheaded campaigns to safeguard the rights of prisoners of conscience, human rights defenders, and survivors of torture. Serving on her city’s Human Rights Advisory Commission, she instituted measures to advance meaningful social, political and economic change.

Isabella has conducted field research on analyzing the state’s accountability to protect collective rights, as well as how to uphold these rights through international law. Through 100 Projects for Peace, she documented human rights abuses after the Arab Spring in Egypt and developed a curriculum alongside civil society and governments to improve political stability. While working in Jordan, she highlighted the importance of women’s involvement in peace and security. Her research is currently being considered by the Amman governorate to inform future peace programming. Most recently, Isabella was a consultant at UN Women to support women to prevent conflict and build peace in their communities. Isabella received her M.A. from Columbia University’s Institute for the Study of Human Rights.

Be sure to ask her about what it was like growing up visiting some of Oregon's most beautiful libraries with her librarian mother.