The Seattle Office for Civil Rights (SOCR) recently welcomed Dr. Hajer Al-Faham as the new director of the department’s Policy Division, which uplifts community-driven policy approaches to advance equity, social justice, and civil rights protections in City programs and policies. In addition to traditional public policy work, the division focuses on creating space for communities most impacted, and frequently absent from, policy discussions and development.
As Policy Director, Dr. Al-Faham leads a team of four staff responsible for developing civil rights legislation that increases the voice and power of Seattle communities, increasing transparency and accountability in public policy through collaborative engagement with policymakers, and building strong relationships with community partners to ensure SOCR’s advocacy work is responsive to community needs.
Dr. Al-Faham’s career is shaped by her commitment to promoting equity and inclusion through research, teaching, and public service. She received her Ph.D. at the University of Pennsylvania where she specialized in public policy, inequality, and research methodology. Her work has been recognized by the National Science Foundation, the American Association of University Women, and the American Political Science Association, and has been published in multiple peer-reviewed social and behavioral science journals. Alongside her doctoral training, she served as Senior Policy Fellow at the City of Philadelphia where she developed policies to reduce poverty and improve access to education and housing. She has also advised cities and non-profits on strategies to evaluate and enhance services that support integration of immigrant and refugee communities of color.
“Growing up as a refugee in Washington state, my experiences with poverty, racial exclusion, and xenophobia made me acutely aware of the profound and disparate impact of these challenges across many communities,” said Director Al-Faham. “This awareness not only led me to want to understand how and why these challenges appear, but also motivated me to look for ways to contribute to social, economic, and political justice through my work as a civically engaged scholar.”
As a passionate advocate for equity and civic engagement, Dr. Al-Faham has also dedicated several years to designing diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging initiatives in corporate and higher education organizations. Building on prior volunteer work as a community outreach speaker for American Muslim civil rights and fellow for the Fred T. Korematsu Center for Law and Equality, Dr. Al-Faham is eager to identify new ways to meaningfully engage local communities and advocate for civil rights.
In just a few weeks at SOCR, Dr. Al-Faham has become known for her thoughtful and compassionate approach to policy development and joyful sense of humor. Outside of work, Dr. Al-Faham tries to find time to hike with her dog, bake traditional Middle Eastern pastries with her friends, and play chess with family.
