Official Biography and Photos
Yasmina Benslimane is a multi-award-winning social entrepreneur, strategist, and global advocate advancing inclusive leadership, resource mobilization, and systems change across climate justice, migration, peacebuilding, and gender equity. Raised in Morocco by a single mother, her early life shaped a strong commitment to building equitable systems and expanding opportunities for young women from Global Majority countries.
Over the past decade, Yasmina has supported the leadership, political participation, and economic empowerment of more than 100,000 young women worldwide through capacity-building programs, policy advocacy, and global partnerships. She is the founder of Politics4Her, one of the largest intersectional youth-led organizations advancing women’s leadership globally, and Climate Sirens, a climate-tech social enterprise leveraging innovation and storytelling to amplify indigenous frontline voices in climate action.
A recognized resource mobilizer and movement builder, Yasmina has helped mobilize over $500,000 in funding for feminist and youth-led initiatives, supporting grassroots organizations and emergency response efforts across multiple regions. Her digital advocacy and thought leadership have reached more than 15 million people globally, strengthening global dialogue on climate justice, migration, and inclusive governance. Yasmina holds a BA in Political Science from Saint Louis University, an MA in International Law from the University for Peace, and an MA in Forced Migration and Refugee Protection from the University of London. She has also completed executive certifications in leadership and migration from Harvard Kennedy School and the University of Oxford.
She has collaborated with United Nations agencies, philanthropic institutions, NGOs, and grassroots civil society organizations, and currently serves as an advisor and board member to several global initiatives. Her advisory work has contributed to the strategic allocation of over $200 million in funding supporting gender equality and social justice movements through institutions including the United Nations Spotlight Initiative, the Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund, Vital Voices, and Brown University.
Yasmina’s work has been widely recognized: she has been named one of the BBC’s 100 Most Influential and Inspiring Women, included in Forbes' 30 Under 30, listed among the Top 100 Under 40 Most Influential People of African Descent, and recognized as a Peacebuilder by UN Women.
