Mandy Abou Shoak
Mandy Abou Shoak | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1989 Khartoum, Sudan |
| Occupation(s) | Human rights advocate, writer, politician, coach, advisor |
| Years active | 2020–present |
| Known for | Advocacy for human rights, anti-racism coaching, political work in the Cantonal Council of Zurich |
Mandy Abou Shoak (born 1989 in Khartoum, Sudan) is a Swiss advocate for human rights, writer, and politician affiliated with the Social Democratic Party of Switzerland. Since 2023, she has held a seat on the Cantonal Council of Zurich. Working independently as a coach and advisor specializing in diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism, she has provided consultancy services to multiple Swiss public and private sector entities since 2020.
Life and career
Born in Khartoum, Sudan, Abou Shoak’s father was a journalist who faced multiple detentions due to his outspoken criticism. Following her family’s relocation to Switzerland, her mother acquired proficiency in German, completed secondary education, pursued medical studies, and qualified as a dentist while raising two children.
Abou Shoak moved to Switzerland at the age of two and was raised in the Zürcher Oberland area. Between 2012 and 2016, she pursued social work studies at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, obtaining a Bachelor of Arts with a concentration in sociocultural activities. She further advanced her education by earning a Master of Arts degree focused on human rights in social work from the Alice Salomon University of Applied Sciences Berlin from 2018 to 2021.
Beginning in 2020, Abou Shoak has offered guidance to various NGOs, networks, and both public and private organizations aimed at fostering inclusive policies and equitable organizational frameworks. In her role as an anti-racism coach, she contributed to theatrical projects at the Schauspielhaus Zurich and Zurich cantonal theatre during 2022. Additionally, she authored the chapter "Showcasing humans" for the 2023 publication Not My Circus, Not My Monkeys and co-hosted the podcast "Reden wir! 20 Stimmen zu Rassismus," produced by the anti-racism office of the Swiss Federal Department of Home Affairs.
Since 2022, Abou Shoak has been responsible for education and counselling initiatives at Brava,[1] and beginning June 2024, she assumed roles as board member and co-president of an organization focused on migration issues and fighting human trafficking targeting women. She has served on the board of the Black Feminist Network Bla*sh since 2021 and participates actively in the regional social work professional association covering Zurich and Schaffhausen.
Elected to the Cantonal Council of Zurich in 2023,[2] Abou Shoak also holds a position on the executive committee of the Social Democratic Party of Switzerland’s women’s section since that year.