Ayouba El Hamri (they/she) is a Moroccan trans and non-binary SOGIESC activist currently pursuing a degree in Global Development Studies in Norway. Ayouba has been actively involved in building movements for trans communities in the SWANA region, serving as the regional manager of Transat, the first trans-led organization in the region. They co-initiated Nassawiyat, a pioneering organization for LBTQI+ women and non-binary individuals in Morocco, and have held key leadership roles with Pan Africa ILGA as Francophone Coordi nator, GNP+ as Morocco Country Focal Point, the African Trans Network (ATN) as a Steering Committee Member, and FRIDA (The Young Feminist Fund) as an Advisor representing SWANA. Ayouba currently serves as a board member of the International Trans Fund.

Azza Nubi (she/her) is a queer feminist activist and digital rights advocate. She is the founder and executive director of LooM SWANA, a regional organization focused on the intersectionality of LGBTIQ+ rights, holistic security, and digital rights in the Southwest Asia and North Africa (SWANA) region.

Mim Dziri (any pronouns) is a North African human rights defender and SOGIESC expert. Her work is focused on the region of North Africa and its diaspora. She is currently the Executive Director of The North Africa Center for Strategic Partnerships (NACSP). She is passionate about inspecting SRHR; digital rights and gender-based violence through a queer intersectional Decolonial lens. Prior to her current position, she had an experience of almost a decade as a grassroots activist in North Africa through local small initiatives and projects that aimed to document and expose the struggles and violence people of diverse sexuality and gender identity in North Africa are subjected to. Today Mim aims to be a voice that puts the rights of queer North Africans at the center of global and regional discussions that affect them the most.

Pauline Mignola (she/her) is the program manager for SWANA at LGBT+ Denmark. She is responsible for the international projects and the collaboration with partner organizations in SWANA. LGBT+ Denmark has worked in the SWANA region since 2016 and supports local organisati ons in their work to build LGBTQ+ safe spaces, better mental health support and more civic engagement.

Samer Dada (he/him) is Senior Programs Manager at Helem, a Beirut-based LGBTQIA+ rights organization. He oversees a portfolio of 13+grants across advocacy, protection, and livelihoods, and co-led Helem’s 2024 emergency response, coordinating 1,000+ assistance requests and building partnerships with INGOs. His work halved referral times, streamlined helpline SOPs, and embedded DEI clauses in regional MSME programs. Beyond emergency programming, he designs and scales initiatives in economic empowerment, governance, and labor-law reform grounded in participatory needs assessments and rigorous M&E. Previously a university department head, he also works as a governance consultant and business trainer across SWANA, with expertise in ROI of intangibles.