About me

I am a Palestinian human rights specialist, currently residing in the UK.

I carry out thematic work globally. I have specific expertise in Arab countries.

I have been working in the field of human rights initially in Palestine and then at MENA region and international levels for over 35 years. I have been working as an independent human rights consultant since 2010

What I work on

• My recent work focuses on gender equality, gender justice and women empowerment, including the Women Peace and Security (WPS Agenda); economic and social rights; and the human rights of older persons. I also have special interest  in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
• I also specialize in the human rights standards and mechanisms of the League of Arab States, including the Arab Charter on Human Rights.

How I work

• I produce human rights-based analyses, research and policy-oriented studies, as well as author guidebooks, manuals, and handbooks that aim at increasing the utilization of international human rights law and mechanisms in national action.
• I teach human rights and conduct specialized training for participants from various backgrounds.
• I also carry out needs assessment, strategic planning, and evaluations.

I work in both Arabic and English.

Qualifications

I hold an LLM in International Human Rights Law from the University of Essex, UK.

Affiliations

   Board member/ Council member/ Trustee

• Member of the International Council, International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI)
• Member of the Advisory Board of Article 19’s MENA Regional Office, (Article 19)
• Member of the Advisory Board, Global Initiatives of HelpAge International
• Member of the Editorial Board, Journal of Human Rights Practice (JHRP)

• Commissioner, Palestine Independent Commission for Human Rights (ICHR) (until 2023)
• Board member, Association for the Prevention of Torture (APT) (until 2023)
• Board member, Lawyers for Justice in Libya (LFJL) (until 2023)

   Fellowships

• Fellow, Human Rights Centre, Essex Law School, University of Essex, UK (until 2023)
• Fellow, Human Rights Law Centre, University of Nottingham, UK

Honour

I was one of  30 Human rights Defenders from various Arab countries that were recognized for their work by the Regional Office of the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in the publication “A defender for a right”,  launched in Beirut/ Lebanon on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the UDHR. 

“The purpose of the booklet is drawing public attention on Human Rights Defenders, expressing support for their courageous defiance of repression and encouraging their work in protecting and promoting human rights. The activism of each defender is linked to related articles of the Universal Declaration for Human Rights.” (A defender for a right)

Selected consultancy clients

(In alphabetical order. This does not include academic research and publications)

Amnesty International ♦ Arab NGO Network for Development (ANND) ♦ Equality Now ♦ Arab Women Organisation ♦ Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS) ♦ Center of Arab Women for Training and Research (CAWTAR) ♦ Gender Action for Peace and Security – UK (GAPs) ♦ HelpAge International ♦ Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) ♦ MIFTAH ♦ Open Society Foundations (OSF) ♦ Oxfam ♦ UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) ♦ UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) ♦ UN Population Fund (UNFPA) ♦ UN Women ♦ Women International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF).

Work experience

• I have been working as an independent human rights consultant since 2010.
• I have worked in different capacities with several prominent national, regional and and international organisations (see above on selected clients).
  • I was the Legal Adviser to the Middle East and North Africa at the International Secretariat of Amnesty International for 10 years.
  • I was a Senior Policy Analyst for the Open Society Foundations.
  • I engaged with HelpAge International as a consultant on various occasions, and currently sit on the Advisory Board of the Global Initiatives of HelpAge International

Most Recent Publications 

• 2025: “Arming Injustice with Impunity: How support for Israel’s illegal occupation and militarization undermines States’ commitments to gender equality and the WPS Agenda”, Oxfam,
• 2025: “In Search of Justice: Rape Laws in the Arab States: Reforming rape laws in Arab States: A comparative analysis of legal frameworks across 22 LAS countries”, Equality Now. 
• 2023: “Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in Practice: Handbook for Civil Society Organizations and Human Rights Defenders “, Amnesty International – Netherlands
       Part I: Understanding ESC Rights
       Part II: Taking Action on ESC Rights
• 2023: “The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and its Optional Protocol: Handbook for Parliamentarians”(revised edition), OHCHR and IPU – (Main contributor) 
• 2023: Chapter 14: “Advancing Gender Equality through the Arab Charter on Human Rights“, in Frontiers of Gender Equality: Transnational Legal Perspectives, edited by Professor Emerita Rebecca J. Cook
• 2023: “A Guide on Using UN Bodies and Mechanisms to Promote Accountability: Women, Peace and Security Agenda in the Palestinian Context”, MIFTAH, (Arabic).

Full list of publications is included in a separate page on this website

 For more information, please contact me on  mervat.rishmawi@gmail.com