Human Rights & Gender Equality

Shaista Kiran

Humanitarian and Development Professional

UNHCR

Islamabad · English, Urdu, Pashto

Biography

Shaista Kiran is a humanitarian protection, programme management and digital innovation professional with over 19 years of experience working with the United Nations and civil society organisations across Pakistan and Iraq, including more than 14 years with UNHCR.

Her expertise spans refugee protection, forced displacement, gender equality, safeguarding, inclusive programme design, policy advocacy, participatory research and evidence-based decision-making. She has led and supported complex humanitarian operations, community engagement initiatives, needs assessments and strategic partnerships, with a strong commitment to ensuring that the voices of women, children and marginalised communities influence policies and programmes.

More recently, her work has focused on responsible AI, digital innovation and protection-sensitive solutions, including the development of accessible digital information pathways for refugees.

Passionate about women's empowerment, inclusive leadership and social change, Shaista advocates for approaches that move beyond representation towards meaningful participation, economic opportunities and decision-making power. She believes that lasting change begins when communities are not merely consulted but genuinely heard, valued and empowered to shape their own futures.

Areas of expertise

• Humanitarian Protection and Refugee Rights
• Forced Displacement, Migration and Durable Solutions
• Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment
• Child Protection and Safeguarding
• Humanitarian Programme and Project Management
• Policy Research and Advocacy
• Participatory Research and Needs Assessments
• Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL)
• Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) Inclusion
• Community Engagement and Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP)
• Digital Innovation, Responsible AI and Protection-Sensitive Digital Solutions
• Complementary Pathways for Refugees
• Strategic Partnerships and Stakeholder Engagement
• Capacity Development and Humanitarian Coordination.

Key achievements

• 19 Years of Humanitarian Leadership: Built an extensive career in humanitarian protection, programme management and field operations across Pakistan and Iraq, including over 14 years with UNHCR, supporting refugees, displaced populations and vulnerable communities.
• Refugee Protection and Durable Solutions: Contributed to protection strategies, operational responses and solutions-oriented programming, strengthening access to services, community participation and protection-sensitive decision-making.
• Digital Innovation and Inclusive Solutions: Led research and technical development for UNHCR Pakistan’s Digital Complementary Pathways initiative, integrating participatory assessments, user personas, journey mapping, accessibility and protection-by-design principles to inform a refugee-centred digital information platform.
• Research, Evidence and Policy Influence: Designed and coordinated participatory needs assessments, focus group discussions, key informant interviews and stakeholder consultations to translate community perspectives into practical programme recommendations and evidence-based solutions.
• Gender Equality and Inclusive Participation: Advanced age, gender and diversity mainstreaming, safeguarding and accountability approaches, promoting meaningful participation of women, children, persons with disabilities and marginalised communities in humanitarian programming.
• Strategic Partnerships and Coordination: Worked across United Nations agencies, government institutions, civil society, humanitarian organisations and community networks to strengthen coordination, identify operational gaps and support collaborative solutions.
• Child Protection and Social Innovation: Initiated the development of Aangan, a bilingual, child-friendly digital awareness concept combining storytelling, interactive learning and responsible AI to make child protection information more accessible to children and families.

International experience

Over 19 years of humanitarian and development experience, including more than 12 years with UNHCR, spanning Pakistan, Iraq and Liberia. Experienced in cross-border protection, refugee and displacement responses, humanitarian programme management, field operations, stakeholder coordination, protection monitoring, safeguarding and inclusion. Worked with UN agencies, government counterparts, international and national NGOs, and affected communities in complex humanitarian settings.

Most notably, served as Associate Protection Officer with UNHCR in Dohuk, Iraq (2023–2025) and undertook a humanitarian protection deployment to Liberia (2020–2021). These assignments strengthened expertise in multicultural team leadership, emergency response, inter-agency coordination, protection risk analysis and context-sensitive programme implementation.

Also contributed to cross-border migration and complementary pathways initiatives involving regional and international stakeholders, including research, digital innovation and protection-sensitive information services.

Engagement interests

Speaker · Panelist · TV / Radio · Podcast / Webinar · Mentor · Trainer; In-person in Pakistan, International, Online / Virtual. Individual arrangements are subject to confirmation.

Profiles reflect information provided for the directory. All engagements and arrangements are subject to individual confirmation. Private contact details are not published. For an engagement enquiry, contact Balance 360.