Smriti Aryal, UN Women
Smriti Aryal took office as the Head of UN Women China on 27 July 2019 based out of Beijing. She is the first Head of the office to China at the representative level, to be appointed by UN Women.
Smriti is a national of Nepal and brings over 22 years of professional experience in international development and humanitarian assistance, which she has acquired at the United Nations and externally.
Prior to arriving in China, Smriti served as the Head of the Office in Myanmar (2018-2019), after holding key leadership roles including as UN Women’s Regional Advisor and UNAIDS Regional advisor between 2008-2017 based out of Bangkok and with UNICEF from 2000-2006. She has worked with a wide range of stakeholders including regional and national governments, CSOs, and the UN over 12 countries and brings a strong background in public policy development, strategic planning, and strategic partnership related to a host of international development issues. She has authored and published numerous documents as well as served as a peer reviewer in several international conferences and journals.
Smriti holds a master’s degree Master’s in Public Health from University College London, UK, and a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Gender Studies from Oregon State University, USA. She is married to a husband and two children, currently living in Beijing.