Zara Mustafa is currently serving as the Communications and Knowledge Management Associate at RAPID. She holds a strong academic background in Economics and Development Studies, graduating with the highest distinction from BRAC University. Prior to joining RAPID, she worked as the Lead of Economic Policies and Employment Team and Fellowship Management Team at the Youth Policy Forum (YPF). She has worked as a Research Associate at RAPID for over a year, during which she served as the focal researcher in a JICA-funded project assessing Bangladesh’s social protection sector. She also played a key role in an ILO-commissioned project focused on developing a national roadmap for childcare in Bangladesh. Her experience spans designing and conducting surveys, focus group discussions (FGDs), and key informant interviews (KIIs) with a wide range of stakeholders, from top government officials to grassroots communities. In addition to her research contributions, Zara has been an integral part of RAPID's editorial team, collaborating to publish peer-reviewed editorials on development issues.