Sahar Pirzada is a current Masters of Social Work candidate at the University of Southern California. Her dedication to serving the Muslim community in the capacity of a social worker draws from her extensive experience working with Muslim women and youth around sexual violence awareness and prevention. She is the Programs and Outreach Manager for HEART Women & Girls where she conducts educational workshops and forums on this topic

Prior to formally starting her graduate studies, she worked as the Youth Development Manager at the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Greater Los Angeles Area chapter. While at CAIR-LA, she established relationships with local organizing groups and partnered with them to create the #VigilantLOVE Coalition for Los Angeles County. The aim of which was to enable allies of the Muslim community to vigilantly stand in solidarity with them against all forms of Islamophobia. She continues her activism today to combat Islamophobia through her policy advocacy and community organizing work in the coalition.

Sahar is a former fellow of the Women’s Policy Institute under the Women’s Foundation of California. She also participated in the Community Organizing Residency of Bend the ARC in 2016. Her passion for social justice stems from her Muslim identity and the belief that Islam as a way of life challenges oppression in all its forms. She grew up in the Bay Area and attended UC Berkeley for her undergrad where she studied international development. Upon graduation she lived and worked in Singapore for 3 years in the non-profit sector. She currently resides in Los Angeles with her husband, Imran J. Khan.