Hewan Areaya

Hewan Areaya [she/her/hers] is the Sr. Program Manager, Participatory Approach at Global Fund for Women.

Originally from Ethiopia, Hewan is a human rights professional and an intersectional feminist with more than six years of experience working with national and international organizations that advance the rights of marginalized groups, including women with disabilities, women living in conflict regions, and refugees. Hewan has a law degree from Addis Ababa University and a Master of Laws (LLM) from the University of Wisconsin.

Most recently, Hewan worked in one of the nine refugee resettlement agencies in the US as a program officer. She was involved in ensuring subgrantees, affiliates, and branch offices’ programmatic, operational, and financial practices met the U.S. federal government grant compliance requirements.

She also worked with Women Enabled International, where she was involved in United Nations advocacy and a research project that aimed at documenting the lived experiences of women and gender non-conforming persons with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

While Hewan was in Ethiopia, she cofounded a women’s rights initiative called Siiqqee Scholars, which aims to empower young girls through education. At Siiqqee Scholars, Hewan managed grants, training programs, and donation campaigns. Most recently, she mobilized resources for 1300 Ethiopian women and girls living in war and conflict areas, ensuring they had access to menstrual hygiene products as part of Siiqqee Scholar’s commitment to period justice.

In her free time, Hewan enjoys spending time with her loved ones and engaging in outdoor activities.