Walaa has joined the International Centre for Reproductive Health (ICRH) in October 2024 as a postdoctoral researcher. She coordinates research activities and contributes to the strategic and operational planning of the ICRH team.
In September 2024, she defended her PhD at the Faculty of Political and Social Sciences at Ghent University, Belgium. Her doctoral research focused on the experiences of Palestinian women diagnosed with breast cancer, examining their journeys before and after diagnosis through an intersectional lens of structural discrimination and employing a mixed-methods approach.
Her broader research interests encompass the intersections of health and human rights, and the sociology of health and illness, particularly in contexts of conflict and complex emergencies.
Before joining ICRH, she worked with the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) as a Monitoring, Advocacy, and Communications Officer, specializing in information management, research, and evidence-based advocacy in health and human rights.
Walaa holds a Master’s degree in Development Studies with a specialization in conflict and social injustice from the International Institute of Social Studies (ISS) at Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Prior to her MA, she collaborated with various international and local organizations, focusing on gender empowerment, and building ICT capacities for women. Her roles spanned training, coordination, and project management.
Passionate about advancing equity and justice in health, she is a dedicated advocate for the rights of vulnerable and underserved populations worldwide.