Gunel Ismikhanova

Gunel Ismikhanova

Biography

I am a human rights specialist, researcher, and community advocate with more than 15 years of experience working with refugees, asylum seekers, internally displaced people (IDPs), and vulnerable women. My background includes legal advice, human rights education, community engagement, research, and advocacy, with a particular focus on promoting equality, inclusion, and access to justice.

Before moving to the UK, I worked as Chief Adviser at the Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman) Office in Azerbaijan, where I led work on the protection of refugees, migrants, and IDPs, contributed to national human rights policy, and delivered training on refugee and human rights law. I have also taught international law at university level and authored more than 70 publications on migration, gender equality, and refugee rights.

Since settling in Plymouth, I have continued supporting refugee communities through research, volunteering, and community organisations. I founded She for Her C.I.C., providing support and empowerment for refugee and asylum-seeking women, and worked as a Peer Support Worker on the University of Plymouth’s Route to Wellness Project. I have also collaborated on research with the University of Plymouth and the University of Oxford, exploring refugee experiences, identity, and wellbeing.

As a member of PenPEG, I am passionate about ensuring that people with lived experience help shape research that is inclusive, meaningful, and improves health and wellbeing for diverse communities. I value working in partnership with researchers and communities to ensure that people’s voices influence research, policy, and practice.

 

Projects