Safiya Riyaz is an early career researcher and development professional from Sri Lanka, with five years of experience in the field of Gender Equality and Women’s Health and Rights. She is focused on developing culturally relevant and economically viable services and programs, particularly in the context of Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG).
She is a Commonwealth Scholar and holds a Master’s degree in Global Health from Edinburgh, a Post-Graduate Diploma in Gender and Women’s Studies from Colombo and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. She draws on her academic and professional experience to explore the intersections of gender and global health for improved intervention development and expanded access to care for underserved communities, particularly in Global South countries. She has previously served as the Senior Manager at the Family Planning Association of Sri Lanka.