Professional Experience:
Joya Elias is a seasoned program manager with in-depth experience in criminal justice, counter-terrorism, and humanitarian protection across critical regions including West, East, and Central Africa, MENA, and Southeast Asia. At the International Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law (IIJ) and the Terrorism Prevention Branch of UNODC (TPB/UNODC), she has been instrumental in securing multi-year, multi-million grants from entities like the European Union, which have enabled sustainable, large-scale initiatives tailored to regional security threats and justice reform needs.
Among her key accomplishments, Joya conceptualized and launched a specialized workstream on “Addressing Sexual Violence Linked to Terrorism.” Within 11 months, this initiative evolved into one of IIJ’s flagship programs, setting the standard for integrated responses to terrorism-related sexual violence. The program mobilized partnerships with African governments and regional organizations, developing frameworks that harmonize victim-centered legal approaches with local justice systems. Joya led the creation of Monitoring & Evaluation frameworks with specific indicators for tracking both quantitative and qualitative outcomes, enhancing data precision and program accountability. Her leadership and technical insights have contributed to positioning IIJ as a global thought leader on this issue, securing further international partnerships and funding.
In Southeast Asia, Joya advanced IIJ’s counter-violent extremism (CVE) initiatives with a national-local approach, emphasizing collaboration between government and community-level actors. Through her work in Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines, she implemented programs that adapted M&E methodologies to capture region-specific insights on extremist recruitment patterns and community resilience. This data-driven approach enabled targeted interventions that address the unique sociopolitical contexts of each country, such as leveraging local governance structures to disrupt recruitment pathways and promoting reintegration for affected individuals. Her work in CVE has directly informed policy development and community engagement practices within vulnerable populations, underscoring her role in shaping evidence-based approaches that are both effective and culturally resonant.
At UNODC’s Terrorism Prevention Branch, Joya managed capacity-building workshops for Iraqi, Jordanian, Egyptian, and Lebanese criminal justice officials. She designed training modules on the investigative procedures for ISIL-related crimes, battlefield evidence collection, digital forensics, and witness protection frameworks, incorporating the UNODC’s protocols on fair trial standards and victim rights. These workshops not only built technical skills but also strengthened inter-agency collaboration in MENA’s counter-terrorism landscape. Joya’s work contributed to improved coordination between prosecutors, defense counsels, and investigative judges, aligning with international standards on human rights and rule of law in terrorism prosecution.
Her expertise extends into humanitarian protection, evidenced by her role as a Protection Officer with Red Cross Malta’s Restoring Family Links Unit. She designed intake protocols that streamlined casework for refugees and migrants, and collaborated with social workers and legal experts to ensure confidentiality and protection in family reunification cases, especially for highly vulnerable individuals.
Joya’s technical expertise in securing funding, structuring M&E frameworks, and designing data-driven, contextually adaptive programs has been pivotal to the success and sustainability of her initiatives. Her leadership in grant acquisition, program design, and operational efficiency reflects her deep understanding of the multifaceted challenges in security, justice reform, and humanitarian assistance.