Sumera Haque - Academy

Senior Director of Clinical Operations, George Washington University Medical Faculty

Dr. Sumera Haque is a leading expert in women's health and champion of girls' education and women's empowerment. With over 20 years’ experience as a senior healthcare executive, she currently serves as the Executive Director, Johns Hopkins Women’s Health Center. She has also been a consultant to the World Bank on HIV-AIDS, liaison to the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, an initiative of the American Heart Association and the Clinton Foundation and  Ambassador for the Brookings Institution's Girls Education Champion Network South Asia Hub. 

A physician from Pakistan with a master’s degree from the GW Milken Institute School of Public Health, Dr. Haque is also a GBV survivor and social and women’s rights activist. She personally understands the gender discrimination issues faced by women in developing countries and has dedicated her life to helping women with similar experiences. She has volunteered with several organizations working on women’s issues, including Tahiri Justice, Mirecs, Cair Coalition and Catholic Charities. For her work she received the Shero Award for community service from Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-Maryland). Dr. Haque was also nominated to attend ‘The United State of Women’ White House Summit in June 2016.

A passionate advocate for education, especially for women and girls, Dr. Haque is committed to making a difference. She is a Producer/Ambassador of Girl Rising Pakistan, a global movement supporting girls’ education and empowerment. She also mentors and coaches high school and undergraduate students interested in careers in medicine and public health and provides guidance to foreign medical doctors who are pursuing licensing exams and Public Health/Healthcare Administration degrees in the United States. Her commitment to education & women empowerment also includes serving as a Faculty Advisor at the George Washington University Global Women’s Institute, GWU Alumni Ambassador, Liaison for the GWU International Medicine Program and advisor to WPSP Woodrow Wilson Center. 

Dr. Haque lives with her two sons, Sohrab and Zaryab, in Rockville, MD.

"I am humbled and thrilled to join the Global Teacher Prize Academy. Growing up in Pakistan, my three older sisters, all teachers, taught me how to excel in school. Through their inspiration, I became the first person in our family to attend medical school. Many girls in Pakistan and around the world are not as fortunate to have access to a great school or great teachers. Also, many college graduates are not encouraged to enter the teaching profession because it's not considered highly respectable or financially rewarding. But with 263 million children, are out school, it is more important than ever to invest in and reward teachers who can help children stay in school and succeed. I am so pleased to see the Varkey Foundation honoring successful teachers and I fully support their mission."