Our Current Team
Dr Jihan Kahssay
Secretary
Jihan is an international lawyer. She is interested in human rights and gender issues. She holds a law degree from the United States and a doctoral degree from Germany
Dr Tereza Kidane
Co-Chairperson
Tereza is a Doctoral Candidate at Ohio University. She is an experienced educator and instructor, women’s rights and rights advocate with research areas focused on feminist visual culture and nationalist movements from the Global South
Zahra Suleiman
Treasurer
Zahra has always been an advocate for Women’s rights. She studied MSc Criminology and Criminal Justice at Durham University. She currently works at a Domestic Abuse organisation and has supported NEW in various roles.
Our Founding Team
Dr Almaz Zerai
Cofounder
Almaz works as a Medical oncologist and is also the chairperson of UEVG (Uniting Eritrean voices in Germany)
Dr Asia Abdulkadir
Former Chairperson
Asia has represented NEW in various conferences and forums to advocate for women’s rights and women’s meaningful participations in Eritrea’s democratic process. She is Country Coordinator with Kindernothilfe, Somalia. Previously, she has worked with UNDP and UNWOMEN as a gender advisor in Somalia. Asia specializes in Sexual Gender Based Violence (SGBV) and safeguarding of women and children in East Africa / Horn of Africa region. Based in Nairobi for the last 12 years, she has been supporting local partner organisations in the region in sustainably improving the living conditions of IDPs and particularly vulnerable groups such as women and children in empowering them economically, socially, culturally and politically.
Asmahan Ali Nouman
Cofounder
Khedijah Ali Mohammed-Nur
Cofounder
Khedijah has been a Women’s rights activist since 16 years old.
Khedijah’s special interests are in campaigns to end violence against women and girls at all times, promoting the UN Resolution 1325 and non-violence means to end conflicts.
Khedijah is a qualified Adult Nurse, currently works as a Specialist Community Public Health Nurse.
Helen Kidan
Cofounder
Helen joined us in December of 2014, and has worked with us as the organisation coordinator for NEW. She also is an executive member of EMDHR and works with destitute asylum seekers.
Dr Sarah Ogbay
Cofounder
Sarah is an academic who worked at the University of Asmara for 26 years teaching both at the undergraduate and postgraduate level. She has co-published various articles on identity, migration, gender, language teaching and learning.
Sarah works as a language trainer and assessor, teacher trainer as well as a professional development trainer at different organisations.
Currently, she works at the University of Manchester as a language assessment professional and an academic language tutor. She also the founder and director of ARHA Languages and Educational Services.
As a Human rights activist Dr Sarah advocates for social and political issues regarding Eritrea,focusing on Eritrean Women and girls. She has also collaborated with different charities to support Eritrean refugees and asylum seekers.
Dr Sarah is currently serving as the secretary of the Network of Eritrean Women (NEW).