Paula Tarvainen

Thematic expertise: inclusive peacebuilding, women's meaningful participation, gender equality, youth inclusion, peace education, nexus approach

Regional/country-specific expertise: Middle East, Horn of Africa, Somalia

Languages: Finnish, English, Arabic

Paula Tarvainen is Senior Thematic Advisor for Right to Peace at Finn Church Aid (FCA) responsible for the overall thematic development as well as for thematic and technical support on inclusive peacebuilding to FCA's country offices in fragile and conflict affected contexts, with a focus on Africa and especially on Somalia.

Previously she has worked with UN Women focusing on women's meaningful inclusion in the UN facilitated and Syrian-led political process and providing support to overall broad-based Syrian women's civil society movement building in addition to a range of normative, inter-agency and field humanitarian operations at UN Women's Humanitarian and Crisis Response Office.  In addition, she has worked at the Network for Religious and Traditional Peacemakers on inclusive faith and tradition-oriented peacebuilding and mediation.  She holds a Master's degree in Middle Eastern Studies from University of Helsinki