Samaneh Hemat is a Social Development Specialist in the Africa team of the World Bank’s Social Development Global Practice. Based in Washington DC, she works on a set of issues that have to do with reducing inequality and exclusion of vulnerable populations. She has a background working on issues of land tenure and local economic development with marginalized communities in India, Canada and Belize. She started her career as a Lawyer and has a Master’s in Public International Law from Georgetown University Law Center and is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Law and International Development at Osgoode Hall Law School, York University.