Ayesha Umana-Dajud is a doctoral candidate in Science of Law (J.S.D.). Her dissertation, titled ‘The Crime of Genocide in International Criminal Law: A Story of Exclusion of Political Identities’, reflects her engagement with critical legal studies and international criminal law. Her academic journey began in Colombia, where she obtained a Bachelor of Law (LL.B.) at the National University of Colombia and graduate degrees in Procedural Law, Criminal Law, as well as an LL.M. focused on strategic international litigation. Ayesha’s professional experience spans roles at The Office of Public Counsel for the Victims (OPCV) of the International Criminal Court in The Netherlands, at the ‘Special Jurisdiction of Peace - JEP’ created by the 2016 Peace Agreements with the FARC-EP guerrilla in Colombia, and legal research positions for the Women & Justice Collection of the Legal Information Institute (LII) and The Death Penalty Center in the U.S. After the Peace Agreements signature, Ayesha volunteered in the FARC-EP reintegration settlements to teach alternative mechanism of conflict resolution and took part of missions to report the implementation needs of the Peace Agreements in rural communities. She also has trained Afro-Descendant leaders in the Pacific rainforest in Human Rights mechanisms, led a process of formalization of land ownership of farmers in the Andes, was the lead counsel in a land restitution process between an Hydroelectric and forced displaced farmers, and work in previous consultation process with Indigenous communities. Recently, she contributed to strategic litigation at the Inter-American Court of Human Rights on the advisory opinion on “Climate Change emergency and Human Rights” (2023) and drafted a report on women on death row that triggered a joint communication from three UN Special Rapporteurs and two Working Groups to the Tanzanian government. Ayesha loves traveling solo or in company, gets excited whenever she sees a dog, is a fairly good tennis player, and has once thought of becoming a professional pianist.