Dr. Azza Karam (Egypt/Netherlands/USA) is President of Women’s Learning Partnership. Prior to joining WLP, she served as the first woman, North African, and Muslim Secretary General for the international coalition Religions for Peace. During her tenure at Religions for Peace, Dr. Karam led interreligious peacebuilding in over 90 countries and established the first Multi-Religious Humanitarian Fund.
Dr. Karam has dedicated over three decades to international work, including serving at the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance/IIDEA, the Queens University of Belfast (Northern Ireland), and the Vrije Universiteit of Amsterdam (The Netherlands). She also served nearly two decades at the United Nations (UNDP and UNFPA) where she co-founded and chaired an Interagency Task Force on Religion and Development and Sustainable Development, and a Multi-Faith Advisory Council.
Dr. Karam holds a PhD in Environmental Sciences and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Humanities from John Cabot University. She has lectured and taught in various universities. Her work on gender equality, international relations, religious engagement in development, and humanitarian work has been published widely and translated into several languages. Her scholarly work has focused on the intersection of religion, politics, and human rights.
Dr. Karam is a member of the United Nations’ Secretary General High Level Advisory Board On Multilateralism. She has received multiple awards, including for her work on/in the United Nations, as well as in/on Interfaith work and Culture.
Born in Egypt, Dr. Karam is also a citizen of the Netherlands.