The domestic abuse charity Women’s Aid has appointed Farah Nazeer as its next chief executive.
Nazeer, who has spent the past two years as deputy director of advocacy at ActonAid UK, has more than 20 years of executive management experience in the voluntary sector, Women’s Aid said.
She has previously held senior positions at organisations including the children’s charity Lumos, the NGO umbrella body Bond, the Motor Neurone Disease Association and the Women’s Institute.
She served as a Labour Party councillor at Newham Council in London between 2010 and 2018.
Nazeer will succeed Katie Ghose, who stepped down in February 2019 after complaints were made about comments she had made in support of the UK Independence Party four years earlier.
Nazeer said she had great admiration for Women’s Aid, which is a federation of almost 180 organisations providing services to women and children in England.
“At a time when increasing numbers of women are experiencing domestic abuse, the work of Women’s Aid and the need to champion women’s rights is as urgent as ever,” she said.
Sarah Hill, chair of Women’s Aid, said Nazeer “brings a wealth of experience of working to end violence against women and girls, and commitment to supporting our membership as we experience challenges like no other with the ongoing impact of Covid-19”.
Nazeer will join the charity on 1 March.
Nicki Norman, who has been acting as interim chief executive, will return to her post as director of operations.