Zainab Malik

Policy and Advocacy Advisor

As a lawyer, my first case was of a 7 year old survivor of gang rape who had been forced to enter into a compromise with her attackers. Failed by the legal system at every step in her long and arduous journey, she was left with no choice but to abandon all hope for justice. Since then I have been committed to making sure that the law and its mechanisms work to provide redress to the most vulnerable and marginalised groups.

Zainab Z. Malik is a seasoned advocate for justice with over 15 years of experience driving transformative change in the global justice landscape. As the Policy and Advocacy Adviser at The Hague Institute for Innovation of Law (HiiL), she leads the development of global policy and advocacy strategies that advance people-centered justice worldwide.

Zainab’s career is marked by her passionate commitment to addressing critical issues such as access to justice, sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), fair trials, and the abolition of capital punishment and torture. Before joining HiiL, she was the Head of Policy and Advocacy at Justice Project Pakistan (JPP), where she led advocacy campaigns to reduce the scope of the death penalty, enhance legal protections for vulnerable groups, and secure clemency for survivors of trafficking and exploitation detained abroad. Her work at JPP significantly influenced policy reform, safeguarding the rights of some of the most vulnerable individuals under the criminal justice system.

Her experience also extends to the international arena, having served as a Program Development Specialist at the International Development Law Organization (IDLO). In this role, Zainab played a pivotal role in designing programs that promote the rule of law, access to justice, and sustainable development across Africa and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

Zainab holds an LLM from Harvard Law School and is an experienced litigator. She has provided direct legal representation to survivors of SGBV, police torture, and prisoners with mental illness, advocating for them before trial and appellate tribunals. Additionally, she has trained lawyers and judges on effectively representing vulnerable defendants and integrating international law into domestic litigation.

Driven by a deep commitment to justice, Zainab continues to champion reforms that ensure justice systems are inclusive, equitable, and responsive to the needs of people. Her work at HiiL reflects her unwavering dedication to making justice accessible for all.

Contact info

zainab.malik@hiil.org
+31 70 762 0700