Raz Xaidan is a Kurdish multidisciplinary creative known most for her archival and multi-media art collages. Holding a Master’s degree in Media, Culture & Identity, Raz’s creative projects explore themes of Kurdish resistance, cultural crossovers and matriarchal figures. In 2021, Raz launched The Jiyan Archives to aid the preservation of the lives, culture, identity, and diversity of Kurdish women both in Kurdistan and in the diaspora.

Full portfolio of projects: www.razxaidan.com

Gabriela Farah is Lebanese-Brazilian painter and merchant who graduated in Archival Science from State Technical School, at Carandiru - North Zone of São Paulo. Gabriela is also part of the creative ecological bag collective ‘Labaredaz’ which she runs with her friend. Gabriela took the course ‘Archive as a creative strategy’, taught by André Sztutman and went on to lead a photographic exhibition in Brazil showcasing Lebanese, Palestinian and Syrian families of those within her community. Along with archival exhibitions, Gabriela has created and curated a musically led exhibition titled: Meetings, memories and sharing together with other artists, at Galpão Comum, in São Paulo - Brazil. For The Jiyan Archives, Gabriela will focus on resourcing archival documents and images of Kurdish women.

@tintanamente

Şînda Ekrem is a Kurdish journalist, producer and presenter with over a decade-long career. From the very start of the events unfolding in northeast Syria she was at the forefront reporting on the crises. As one of the founders of a female-led initiative of reporters and journalists in the Rojava region, Şînda significantly contributed to the field of media reporting and storytelling. Her diverse experience includes roles such as program planner at WAR-TV, video editor for the Atyaf platform of the Syrian Women's Media Network, and involvement in the film industry as a director, programmer, and voice-over artist for cartoon films on the Ara Zerok Children's Channel in Qamişlo. Additionally, her work as a presenter and correspondent at Çira TV has focused on delivering impactful social programs for Êzidî women and covering crucial news on the ongoing situation in Syria and Rojava, including the battle against ISIS and the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to this, she also served as a reporter for outlets like Hawar News Agency, Firat News Agency, and Ronahi TV, where she spearheaded programs addressing social issues and creating special content for women.

Layal is an Erbil-based journalist covering stories about women, women’s issues, gender equality, and so-called honour killings. She was born in Baghdad and moved to Erbil when she was five, where her Arabic roots blended with the Kurdish culture. Her love for writing bloomed at a young age, pushing her to write poetry in Arabic and English. With her skills in languages, she also works as a translator and interpreter for international media outlets and foreigners visiting the Kurdistan Region.

@layalshakirr

Xoshink, passionate about Kurdistan, actively engaging in initiatives to support and raise awareness about the region's culture, history and people. Part of The Jiyan Archives to help translate and make stories available to a wider audience.

Sara Easa is a Brooklyn-based writer, photographer, and graduate student pursuing a degree in international affairs. Her areas of interest include refugee resettlement, human trafficking, and rehabilitation for survivors of sexual violence.

Hana Ibrahim is a hobby writer currently studying her bachelor degree in Business Management. She was born and raised in Germany before moving to Kurdistan when she was just 10 years old. She was one of the previous article writers for TEDxNishtiman2022. Her other areas of interest include many more creative fields such as singing and photography. Now The Jiyan Archive is providing her with a platform to not just educate the society about Kurdish women, but herself as well.

Shang Salah is a Kurdish filmmaker and writer whose work themes itself around her heritage and identity. She is the co-founder, editor, and head writer of ROOD Collective as well as one of the main directors of Young Surrey Film Festival. Her personal work lies within visual storytelling, archives, creative curation, and Middle Eastern matters.

Dalal is a Kurdish-Arab writer and student based in the United States (Chicago and Boston). She is passionate about the intersection of writing and advocacy and hopes to uplift both her Kurdish and Syrian roots through her organizing work. She believes the preservation of Kurdish women’s stories is integral to building a future of liberation and peace, and hopes to embody these values in her work with The Jiyan Archives.

Rojbîn is a Kurdish writer and medical student.

Peri-Khan Aqrawi-Whitcomb is a specialist in sustainable development policies with a focus on the Middle East and Kurdistan. In 2018, she was selected by the US based Payne Institute for Public Policy to become an active member in a global network of top sustainable energy, environmental, and geo-political experts. Born in exile, she was stateless until the age of 12. Having had limited access to Kurdish books, due to years of linguistic, cultural and ethnic persecution, Peri-Khan committed herself to continue her people’s tradition of generational storytelling to safeguard national heritage. So far it was in the form of her grad school studies, publication of Kurdish children's books or op-eds in several media outlets. The creation of The Jiyan Archives has created an entirely new platform for her to help conserve decades of knowledge about Kurdish women from matriarchs to activists, at home and in diaspora.

Hazha Hemn is a Kurdish activist and software engineering student. Hazha has been a part of multiple gender and environmental related projects, as well as multiple exchange programs based in the U.S - the most recent being the Women2Women programme. Hazha is a program assistant, leading commutations, and development at WANI organization for realising gender equality in the Middle East and North Africa. When not working, Hazha is also the human rights and women affairs officer for the Student Union at the University of Kurdistan (UKH). Hazha’s main inspiration has been Kurdish women all along the way and joined The Jiyan Archives because she believes that the new generation should know and see more of all the brave and inspiring Kurdish women we have had and still have.

@Hazha_Hemn

Rawen Hemin Akram is a Kurdish writer and medical student. Rawen began writing for the Hawler Newspaper at an early age and has since worked and written for many local and international platforms - The Culture Project being the most recent. Rawen was selected as the first Iraqi USAID Youth Lead Ambassador where she co-launched a global campaign targeting gender equality and inclusion in 2021 for the region.