Alumni Spotlight

Mareyba Fawad, MPH ’22, Represents Canadian Youth and Public Health at the United Nations

This spring, Columbia Mailman alumni board member Mareyba Fawad, MPH’22, had the honor of serving as Head Delegate for the Young Diplomats of Canada at the 69th United Nations (UN) Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in New York City. Selected from hundreds of applicants across Canada, Mareyba dedicated several months to leading a delegation, in addition to her full-time work in federal health care consulting, representing youth and public health voices on a global stage for gender equity.

In this role, she led the development of a national youth survey to gather the perspectives of young people across Canada, using the findings to shape her delegation’s advocacy strategy and formal UN statements. She delivered an oral statement before the UN Commission, highlighting the need to advance women’s rights both in Canada and globally. The delegation organized and moderated two official UN parallel events—one focused on advancing gender equity through Canada’s GBA Plus framework, and another on empowering Indigenous Peoples in Canada and the United States.

While in New York City, Mareyba also had the chance to reconnect with Mailman faculty, reflecting on how her time at Columbia helped prepare her to lead in spaces like these.

Throughout the week, the delegation held high-level advocacy meetings with UN and Canadian leaders, including the Executive Director of UN Women, the President of ECOSOC, and Canada’s Ambassador to the UN. She also attracted media attention back home, where Canadian journalists interviewed her about the delegation’s work and reflections on advancing gender equity, youth engagement, and health policy on the international stage.