Meray Sadek

Meray Sadek is a third-year Ph.D. Candidate in the Sociology Program at the University of Waterloo and proudly identifies as an Afro-Indigenous Coptic minority woman. Her research investigates the intersecting forces of religious, gendered, and state-driven discrimination experienced by Coptic Orthodox Christians (Copts) in Saudi Arabia. Specifically, she examines how systemic exclusions—such as the kafala (sponsorship) system, the “Expat Dependent Fees,” and entrenched patriarchal controls—not only drive forced migration but also shape post-migration experiences for Copts, especially women and children. Her work contributes to critical migration studies, the sociology of religion, and Middle Eastern studies, offering grounded insights into the lived realities of marginalized communities. It aims to inform policy conversations on surveillance, religious freedom, and systemic inequities in transnational contexts.

Meray currently serves as the President and Chief Operating Officer of the Graduate Student Association (GSA) at the University of Waterloo, where she is responsible for all operations of the organization, including governance and financial obligations. She oversees all of the GSA’s services and projects to ensure that its mandate to support the graduate student experience is met.