I’m Puhiza Shemsedini, a student actively engaged in the study of human rights, international law, transitional justice, gender studies, and the politics of statehood. I approach my work from a feminist perspective, with a focus on how law, society, and gender intersect in transitional and post-conflict contexts.

My passion for human rights stems from my experience in advocacy and civil society in Prizren, Kosovo where I was born and raised. Among other engagements, I led Save the Children’s youth advocacy group, “Respect Our Rights.” where we monitored the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child through conducting research, and advocating to be part of the decision-making processes. I had the privilege of serving as the children’s representative in national decision-making bodies, and meetings with I later joined Save the Children’s Global Advisory Board, and UNICEF’s Youth Reference group contribuing to the development of future advocacy campaigns in collaboration with their international headquarters.
In 2022, I was awarded the full scholarship "Kennedy Lugar Youth Exchange and Study" (YES) by the U.S Department of State. I spent an exchange year living with a host family in the United States, where I completed 100 hours of community service, participated in a training about Future Leaders in English Teaching in Washington DC, and hosted many presentations about Kosovo's history and culture.

I am currently pursuing a degree in Political, Legal, and Governmental Studies at Central European University, where I work as a research assistant to Professors Patryk Labuda and David Hughes on the project “Double Standards and International Law.” My work includes drafting literature reviews, building research databases, analyzing UN documents, and supporting academic workshops on the topic.
In parallel, I serve as a researcher for the Kosovo Women’s Network, contributing to research on gender-based violence, anti-gender movements, and the Women, Peace, and Security agenda. I also assist the NGO Center for Equality and Justice in evaluating gender budgeting and local policy implementation in the Municipality of Prizren.
Previously, I interned with Re-ACT Lab, a regional think tank focused on governance in the Western Balkans. I was also a fellow in the Millennium Fellowship (UN Academic Impact), where I co-led civic engagement projects aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals, and worked as a Marketing and Recruitment Intern with Carinthia University of Applied Sciences.