Together we build it – Extremely Together Hajer Sharief on democracy and youth empowerment

Hajer Sharief, co-founder of the Together We Build it NGO in Libya and an Extremely Together Young Leader of the Kofi Annan Foundation, is known for playing a key role in peacebuilding and conflict prevention. An initiative of the Kofi Annan Foundation’s Extremely Together initiative, Hajer has also assisted in designing the first ever youth-led countering violent extremism toolkit. A former member of the UN Advisory Group of Experts for the Progress Study on Youth, Peace and Security, Hajer is a recognised UN Women Champion on Women, Peace, Security and Human Rights, and has been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize this year.

In this week’s Business Unusual Podcast, Karla Fletcher, Head of Marketing at Topco Media, chats with Hajer on how she began her peacebuilding journey and what inspired her to take this path. Hajer goes in depth on topics surrounding democracy and gender norms, as she discusses sensitive womens’ issues and the importance of womens’ participation in debates geared towards societal change.

As a human rights advocate and the co-founder of “Together we build it”, Hajer Sharief promotes gender equality and the participation of women and youth in peacebuilding efforts in Libya. She was selected by the UN Secretary-General to serve as a member of the Advisory Group of Experts for the Progress Study on Youth, Peace and Security mandated by UNSCR 2250. Hajer is also one of the twelve UN Women Champions on Women, Peace, Security and Human Rights.