Maria Atanasova is a parliamentary support officer at the European Parliament, in Brussels. She is a public policy professional, researcher, and Romani activist from Bulgaria. Currently, Maria is part of a research working group exploring feminist leadership in climate justice and is interested in digital governance, seeking to ensure that digital transformation advances inclusion, democratic participation, and fundamental rights rather than deepening structural inequalities. Her work sits at the intersection of policy analysis, institutional practice, and rights-based advocacy. Maria specializes in human rights and EU governance, particularly in relation to racialized communities across Europe. Originally trained as a midwife, she transitioned into public policy and social sciences to tackle structural inequalities and promote inclusive governance. She has worked across research, advocacy, and policymaking within European and international institutions, including collaboration with the FXB Center for Health and Human Rights at Harvard University, where she examined racial profiling, police violence, and systemic anti-Roma racism in Central and Eastern Europe. As a Fulbright scholar at the University of Maryland, College Park, US, she earned a master’s degree in public policy. She also holds a master’s degree in political science from Central European University, Austria, with a focus on minority rights and political participation.