Phoebe K. Schreiner is Vice President and U.S. Country Director of Breakthrough in New York.
Phoebe brings longtime experience working with social movements around the world to prevent violence and address its consequences–from family violence to armed conflict. An advocate for human rights, peace, and justice, Phoebe has worked tirelessly to invigorate political accountability, harness the power of communities, build bridges, and use the arts and media to inspire – from Eastern Europe to the Middle East to South Asia to the United States.
Since 2013, Phoebe has been leading and directing Breakthrough's U.S.'s work using media/arts/technology, leadership development, and community mobilization to transform a culture of gender-based violence into one that values all people equally.
Prior to joining Breakthrough, Phoebe consulted with UN Women to improve gender equality mechanisms within the UN system. Phoebe served with USAID’s Office of Transition Initiatives to develop the agency’s strategy for conflict mitigation and reconciliation in Afghanistan’s war-torn southwest region. Before that, Phoebe acted as Deputy Director of the Civil Society Program of the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs in Iraq, building the capacity of human rights organizations to advance their national agendas, promote peace and reconciliation, increase women’s/youth participation, and improve government accountability. Phoebe supported the advocacy efforts of Karama, a network of women’s organizations in the Middle East and North Africa committed to ending violence against women, to mobilize their governments to increase women in decision making positions. For nearly a decade, Phoebe served with the Women’s Program of Open Society Foundations, supporting women’s movements and advancing women’s human rights in conflict/post-conflict and transition countries.
Phoebe holds a Masters in Human Rights from Columbia University and a BA / dual degree in Government and Women’s Studies from Smith College.
