Sandra Iman Pertek is gender practitioner with experience in international development and migration with expertise in GBV and Faith and an interest in mental health and psychosocial support. She is currently a SEREDA Research Fellow at the University of Birmingham. Her research explores the intersection between the continuum of violence and religion in forced migration. Sandra is currently leading a project titled “Untold Stories: Voices of Forced Migrants and Survivors of Modern Slavery on the Mediterranean”, and was previously part of the Forced Migration, SGBV and COVID-19 study. She has consulted on the integration of gender, GBV and faith across the Middle East and sub-Saharan African regions and previously served as global technical lead and senior policy adviser on gender at Islamic Relief Worldwide, where she spearheaded a faith-sensitive gender mainstreaming strategy and authored its Gender Justice Policy. Sandra serves in the UN Women Roster – Eliminating Violence Against Women Spotlight Initiatives and is a founder of a social interest consultancy EQUISTY. She has a PhD from the University of Birmingham and holds an MSc in Social Development Practice from University College London and a BA in European Studies from the University of Warsaw.