Zeina Awad leads Education Above All’s external communication and public advocacy. She has extensive experience in advocacy, public communication, analysis, and journalism, with a focus on the Middle East and Africa. Prior to joining EAA, Ms Awad served as UNICEF’s Chief of Communication in Iraq, Regional Advisor to Medecins sans frontiers for the Middle East and North Africa, and senior East Africa investigator for the Kenya-based United Nations Panel of Experts.

Ms Awad joined the non-governmental sector following two decades as an award-nominated frontline reporter and senior journalist for Al Jazeera English, CNN, the BBC, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and TRT World.  She reported from over 20 countries for television, online and digital media and produced top news and current affairs programmes out of London, Washington DC and Toronto.

A lifelong advocate of gender equality, Ms Awad has worked extensively on issues affecting women and girls throughout her career, with a focus on the impact of conflict and forced displacement on gender inequality across fields and sectors. She is fluent in French, English and Arabic and holds a Master’s Degree in Politics from the London School of Economics and a BA in Political Science and Gender Studies from McGill University.