Asiya Mohammed, MDW, is the Founder and CEO of Conflict Women, Ltd, a social business solving gender-based violence through entrepreneurship in Trinidad & Tobago. She has long been fascinated by political economy and views business as a catalyst of change. Through its Butterfly Project, Conflict Women provides business training for rape and domestic violence survivors and an income for their handcrafted products. Through its MULTIPLY initiative survivors can access capital for their small businesses. Asiya received the 100th Commonwealth Point of Light Award from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II for her exceptional service in supporting survivors of domestic and sexual violence and the National Medal for the Development of Women (Gold) from the President of Trinidad & Tobago for her outstanding contribution in advancing women’s rights. She previously worked for UNICEF, USAID/ DPK Consulting, Initiatives of Change, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Trinidad & Tobago, representing her country at the UN General Assembly and providing policy advice on gender, human rights, peace and conflict. She holds a Masters in Comparative Politics (Markets & Politics) from the London School of Economics and Political Science, an executive MBA from the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management, a BA in International Relations from Lehigh University, and is a former TEDx speaker. Asiya serves as an Advisory Board Member of Unidas, the Women’ Network Connecting Latin America, the Caribbean and Germany, convened by the German Foreign Ministry and as a member of the President’s Leadership Council of Search for Common Ground in Washington, D.C. She enjoys the ocean, swimming, sailing, and cooking.
