Sohaila Rezaee

Sohaila Rezaee is the Co-Founder of Young Emerging Leaders Program and Head of the Afghan Youth Empowerment and Peacebuilding Organization (AYEPO). Through the Young Emerging Leaders Program, Sohaila provides skills training to girl high school students, on leadership, advocacy for peace and providing mentorship support.

She engages her training as a psychologist to create social cohesion, empowerment of girls and advocate for peace through equal treatment. Sohaila’s methodology includes a range of cultural and artistic support mechanisms to engage the most marginalized segments of communities in conversations of girls’ empowerment through education, peace and social harmony. As part of the Asia Culture House, she provided support for the Parwaz Painting Festival in 2018, under the theme ‘Positive Role of Women in Society’. She also facilitated the high school art competition ‘Paint for Peace’, and further volunteers with conflict affected children with art therapy and psychosocial support. Her efforts have been recognized with Sohaila being named a Generation Change Fellow by the United States Institute of Peace (USIP).