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Advisory Councils

Our Advisory Councils are made up of distinguished individuals who are deeply committed to Tahirih’s mission. They act as advisors to local offices, ambassadors to the community, and work to expand our supporters and resources by leveraging professional networks and personal spheres of influence.

  • Eric Dozier

    Music educator, cultural activist, and recording artist
  • Layli Maparyan

    Executive Director of the Wellesley Centers for Women, Professor and Chair of the Africana Studies Department, Wellesley College
  • Leila Milani

    Program Director for Global Policy and Advocacy, Futures Without Violence
  • Layli Miller-Muro

    Founder and Senior Advisor to the CEO, Tahirih Justice Center
  • Roy Steiner

    Senior Vice President for the Food Initiative, The Rockefeller Foundation

Eric Dozier

Music educator, cultural activist, and recording artist

Layli Maparyan

Executive Director of the Wellesley Centers for Women
Professor and Chair of the Africana Studies Department
Wellesley College

Leila Milani

Program Director for Global Policy and Advocacy
Futures Without Violence

Layli Miller-Muro

Founder and Senior Advisor to the CEO
Tahirih Justice Center

Layli Miller-Muro is the founder of the Tahirih Justice Center. She established Tahirih in 1997 following her involvement in a high-profile case that set national precedent and revolutionized asylum law in the United States. Fauziya Kassindja, a 17-year-old girl who had fled Togo in fear of a forced polygamous marriage and female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C), was granted asylum in 1996 by the U.S. Board of Immigration Appeals. This decision opened the door to gender-based persecution as grounds for asylum. Using her portion of the proceeds from the book Layli and Fauziya co-authored about the case, “Do They Hear You When You Cry?,” Layli created the Tahirih Justice Center in 1997 to serve immigrant survivors of gender-based violence seeking safety and justice.

Layli led Tahirih in its service to more than 31,000 women and children, growing the non-profit from a staff of six to over 100, and expanding its offices from Greater DC to Houston, Baltimore, Atlanta, and the San Francisco Bay Area. In recognition of its sound management and innovative programs, under Layli’s leadership, Tahirih won the Washington Post Award for Management Excellence and gained recognition for its innovative use of pro bono services in the Stanford Social Innovation Review.

Prior to joining Tahirih as Chief Executive Officer, Layli was an attorney at the law firm of Arnold & Porter, where she practiced international litigation and maintained a substantial pro bono practice. Prior to joining Arnold & Porter, Layli was an attorney-advisor at the U.S. Department of Justice, Board of Immigration Appeals.

Layli is a frequent lecturer and has appeared in numerous news outlets including  CNN, Fox News, The New York Times, NPR, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post. She lives in the Washington, DC area with her husband and three children.

“We are making progress. Women and girls are standing up for justice. They are refusing the violence they’ve suffered. We are making a significant impact, not only in the lives of our clients, but on the legal system and, in turn, on the planet with regard to the status of women.”

Education

Layli received her JD and MA in International Relations from American University and B.A. from Agnes Scott College.

Awards and Recognition

Layli has been honored with many awards and accolades throughout her career, including:

In the Media

Roy Steiner

Senior Vice President for the Food Initiative
The Rockefeller Foundation