Shatha El nakib Egypt 2020 Grantee US-Canada Program DrPH, Public Health from Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health Masters from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health
Shatha has focused on sexual and reproductive health, specifically the impacts of child marriage and early childbearing among refugees in the Middle East and North Africa region, and how these effects have had an impact in humanitarian settings. While working at the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), Shatha helped design, plan and execute activities related to sexual and reproductive health and gender-based violence among refugees and host communities. At the Population Council in Cairo, Shatha worked with young people in rural Egypt, as well as garment workers in industrial zones on family planning, as well as assessing health services provided to Syrian refugees and Jordanians in Jordan. In addition to her professional experience, Shatha has held numerous volunteer positions, including in an NGO in Cairo that operates an orphanage, leading a micro-credit program, and working with mothers and children on increasing knowledge on gender-based violence, health and hygiene.
Work history:
Johns Hopkins University - Research related to Public Health studies among women and girls in Yemen and Egypt, especially regarding child marriage
United Nations Population Fund - Humanitarian Coordinator - Oversaw humanitarian activities in Egypt and coordinated response with UN agencies, worked to provide humanitarian services for Syrian refugee women and girls, including safe spaces, conducted and monitored projects targeted to behavior change benefiting the status and well-being of women and girls
Population Council - Project Officer, USAID project. “Expanding the Role of the Private Sector in Addressing Family Planning and Reproductive Health Needs of Young People in Egypt”
Designed, monitored and evaluated projects, “Caesarean Section Deliveries in Egypt,” and “Health Services Delivery (HSD) Activity in Jordan
Columbia University - Researcher on study: Local Faith Community and Related Civil Society Engagement in Humanitarian Response with Syrian Refugees in Irbid, Jordan
Publications on Child Marriage:
Evolution in the evidence base on child marriage 2000-2019 A Malhotra, S Elnakib UNFPA-UNICEF Global Programme to End Child Marriage 2020
Child marriage in Yemen: a mixed methods study in ongoing conflict and displacement K Hunersen, B Attal, A Jeffery, J Metzler, T Alkibsi, S Elnakib, et.al. Journal of Refugee Studies 2021
EVOLUTION IN THE EVIDENCE BASE ON CHILD MARRIAGE A Malhotra, S Elnakib 2021 Taking stock of progress made in reducing adolescent motherhood in low-income and middle-income countries E Akwara, S Elnakib The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health 5 (1), 2-3 2021
20 Years of the Evidence Base on What Works to Prevent Child Marriage: A Systematic Review A Malhotra, S Elnakib Journal of Adolescent Health
For a more complete list of publications on a range of topics relating to Shatha’s work, see:
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=ZT43MogAAAAJ&hl=en
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Shatha-Elnakib-3
Awards and Achievements:
The Sidney Kark Award for Excellence in Epidemiology and Research in Global Health
The Communication in Health and Epidemiology Fellowship, Columbia University
Recipient of Al Alfi Leadership Scholarship Recipient of the Aga Khan
International Scholarship Recipient of the Nadia Younes Award for Public and Humanitarian Service
Recipient of the Nadia Younis Fellowship Ideal Student of the Year award
Significant contribution:
Shatha’s current work on child marriages has brought new insight to ending this custom so damaging to girls. She indicates that the best practices to end child marriage are to uplift the value of girls and women in society through education and employment. Providing funds to family in poverty does not end child marriage because families accept the money then turn to child marriage as another means to gain income.
