Tayyaba Khan
Tayyaba Khan, Founder & Trustee
Auckland, New Zealand
Founder and trustee of Khadija Leadership Network, the New Zealand (NZ) Peace Ambassador for the European Muslim League, Director of Advocacy at the Office of the Health and Disability Commissioner, and a community development practitioner with over 15 years of experience having worked with the migrant and refugee communities in The Occupied Territories of Palestine, Australia, United Kingdom and New Zealand. Tayyaba currently sits on the governance board of Mixit & Belong Aotearoa. She is also a regular panellist on RNZ’s ‘The Panel’, and ‘The AM Show’.
Since 9/11, Tayyaba has worked extensively with the Muslim community on a range of initiatives, such as founding Young Muslim Women’s Association and being recognised for this work by being awarded the Sonja Davies Peace Award in 2005 by the former Prime Minister, the Hon. Helen Clark. She is also the founder of the first Muslim club in her former high school, played a pivotal in the establishment of a Muslim student’s club in her university and became the first female President of an Islamic Society on campus in NZ. Tayyaba often comments on how she is of the era of young people who introduced Islam Awareness Week into NZ.
As a commentator in the media who is a voice against Islamophobia in New Zealand, to better understand the impact of War on Terror policies on Muslims Tayyaba has worked with the only Muslim-led advocacy organisation, CAGE UK. For almost two decades now she continues to participate in public talks on Islam and Muslims to continue resisting against and reframing the negative perceptions that have led to a significant rise in Islamophobia around the world.
Tayyaba has represented NZ on the delegation for the 5th Asia Pacific Regional Interfaith Dialogue that took place in Perth in November 2009. In 2010, Tayyaba received an independent scholarship from the Brazilian government to attend the 3rd United Nations Alliance of Civilization Forum as a youth delegate in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In August 2016, Tayyaba represented NZ at the 25th anniversary of Creators of Peace in Caux, Switzerland, and now facilitates Peace Circles to encourage, support and develop women to become peace builders. Given the outcomes achieved from all of her overseas trips, Tayyaba has been selected by the US Consulate General in NZ to go on a leadership exchange programme MRP (Human and Civil Rights for Marginalized Communities) in November 2020.
Tayyaba is deeply passionate about working with minority and faith-based communities. Her particular interest with these demographics is posited in utilising social justice, human rights, and ethical approaches to building a better and more peaceful world for everyone. She is a global citizen with experience of working in organisations such as the Australian Red Cross, British Red Cross, Alzheimer’s UK, and being the former CE of ChangeMakers Refugee Forum.
Pakistani born, and raised in Japan and New Zealand, Tayyaba currently works as the Director of Advocacy at the Office of the Health and Disability Commissioner and resides in Auckland, New Zealand at present.