Background information about Dr. Hend Zaki:

Dr. Zaki has more than 15 years of work experience. She has worked in government, regional and international organisations. She is experienced in issues of intersectionality, identity, belonging, and utilising mixed methods research to raise awareness and bring about change.

She has extensive experience in the inclusion, diversity, refugee, and migrant spaces. She led the Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Pilot Project at Immigration New Zealand (INZ). She used mixed methods research to understand kaimahi/staff members experiences, identified opportunities and provided actionable recommendations to senior leaders on how to create a more welcoming, inclusive and safe work environment. 

As a Senior Advisor part of the INZ Welcoming Communities Programme. She supported, advised and coached local council coordinators from across Aotearoa, New Zealand, on creating more welcoming and inclusive environments for international students, migrants and refugees.

She is passionate about creating safe spaces to foster connections, knowledge sharing and a sense of belonging. She founded the Women of Colour in the Public Sector Network (WOCPSN) and Rahma Sisters. They are safe spaces for women with intersectional identities to connect, support one another and thrive together.

Her academic credentials include completing a PhD in Politics and International Relations from the University of Auckland. Her PhD research focused on identity and belonging, specifically the identity of Muslims born/raised in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Australia. It builds on the findings of her Master’s dissertation on the identity of Muslims in the United States. Her PhD provides recommendations on how to better accommodate Muslims and people from ethnically diverse backgrounds. 

Dr. Zaki is originally from Cairo, Egypt. She relocated to New Zealand in 2015 with her husband and daughters. Her whanau/family is her “why.” Everything she does is to create a better future for them and the younger generation. Previously, she has lived in the UK and the US.

All of Hend Zaki Consulting’s offerings are designed based on insights from Dr. Zaki’s PhD research, experience working in the inclusion and diversity space, establishing safe spaces, and lived experience.

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