BarakaBits
  • Business
    • Social Entrepreneurship
    • Women-Led Enterprises
    • Youth in Business
  • The Arts
    • Art & Photography
    • Books, Blogs & Poetry
    • Design, Fashion & Architecture
    • Music
    • Theater & Dance
    • TV, Film & Online Video
  • Dailylife
    • Challenge to Change
    • Discovery
    • DIY & Life Hacks
    • Food for Thought
    • Heritage
    • Travel
    • Wellness Inside Out
  • Education
    • #NeverStopLearning
    • Classroom 2.0
    • The VIP Section
  • Environment
    • Green Policy
    • Sustainable Design
    • Upcycling & Recycling
  • Science & Tech
    • Lab to Life
  • #Barakability
    • AMENA
    • Memory Bank
    • Opportunities
    • Portraits
  • Countries
  • Submit a Story
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Contact
Subscription Form
BarakaBits
  • Business
    • Social Entrepreneurship
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Women-Led Enterprises
    • Youth in Business
  • The Arts
    • Art & Photography
    • Books, Blogs & Poetry
    • Design, Fashion & Architecture
    • Music
    • Theater & Dance
    • TV, Film & Online Video
  • Dailylife
  • Education
  • Environment
  • Science & Tech
  • #Barakability
  • عربي
  • Business
  • The Arts
  • TV, Film & Online Video
  • Women-Led Enterprises

7 Arab Women Leaders to Watch

  • August 27, 2014
  • One comment
  • 3 minute read
Total
96
Shares
96
0
0
0
0
0

From business women to comedians, activists and athletes, these seven women are championing change in the Middle East with the strength of a lion. Influential and outspoken, they do not fear swimming against the tide to stand up for what they want. Seven videos to sit, watch, and get inspired.

1. Muna AbuSulayman (Saudi Arabia) @MunaAbuSulayman

Some say she is the Middle East’s own version of Oprah: an icon of the modern Muslim woman, Muna challenges stereotypes and builds empowerment on her popular TV show Kalam Nawaem (“Speech of the Soft”). An avid philanthropist and entrepreneur, she was appointed Young Leader by the World Economic Forum and is the first Saudi woman to be a UN Goodwill Ambassador. Watch her talk about women empowerment as a system here.

2. Zainab Salbi (Iraq) @ZainabSalbi

Born in a country torn by war, Salbi, the daughter of Saddam Hussein’s personal pilot turned her life around when he learned about the tragedy of Bosnian women and decided to establish Women for Women International to provide economic and emotional aid to women victims of war. The author, filmmaker, humanitarian and social entrepreneur has dedicated her life to helping women in war-torn regions rebuild their lives and communities.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SS8T-f2srSw]

3. Nawal El Saadawi (Egypt)

Egypt’s legendary feminist, her experience as an activist dates as far back as the British rule of Egypt, when she protested for the first time. A women’s rights activist, author, physician and psychiatrist, she has authored nearly 50 books, many of them discussing the issue of women and Islam. Founder of the Arab Women’s Solidarity Association and the Arab Association for Human Rights, she was awarded the North-South prize from the Council of Europe in 2004. In this video interview, at the age of 79, she says age makes her “become more radical”.

4. Noura Al Kaabi (UAE) @NouraAlKaabi

The first Emirati to be ranked on Foreign Policy magazine’s “Top 100 Global Thinkers list”in 2013 for building an Arabic-language media empire, this influential business lady has a Twitter follower base of 73.100 people worldwide. The CEO of Media Zone Authority (twofour54), Noura oversees major media events in the region including the Abu Dhabi Media Summit, the Abu Dhabi Film Festival and the Abu Dhabi Film Commission.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_myMxxkinH8]

5. Rania Anderson (MENA-US) @TheWayWomenWork

A fierce supporter of women’s rights, Rania is an entrepreneur who accelerates women’s professional and business success globally through The Way Women Work, an online career guidance platform for women in growth economies. Rania is also the co-founder of the Women’s Capital Connection, the 8th women’s angel network in the United States. Watch her explain the ‘Ten ‘C’s of Successful Senior Businesswomen’ here.

6 Maysoon Zayid (Palestine) @maysoonzayid

One of America’s first Muslim women comedians and the first person ever to perform standup in Palestine and Jordan, Maysoon Zayid became world-wide famous after her TEDx talk “I got 99 problems… palsy is just one” went viral. An actress, stand-up comic, philanthropist and advocate for the disabled, her jokes about her family, global culture, and her life with cerebral palsy break international barriers.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buRLc2eWGPQ]

7. May El-Khalil (Lebanon)

The founder of the Beirut Marathon, the largest running event in the Middle East, May El-Khalil transformed her personal tragedy into a project to heal her all-too-often war-torn country. In 2003, more than 6,000 runners gathered for the first Beirut marathon and, now in its 12th edition, the event continues to build unity and harmony. Watch her TEDx talk ‘Making peace is a marathon’ here.

96
0
0
0
Share 96
Tweet 0
Total
98
Shares
Share 96
Tweet 0
Pin it 2
Related Topics
  • 100 most powerful Arab women
  • Arab leaders
  • Arab Women entrepreneurs
  • Arab women leaders
  • Baraka Bits
  • BarakaBits
  • Good News
  • GoodNewsME
  • May El-Khalil
  • mayson zayd
  • Maysoon Zayid
  • MENA Good News
  • Middle East
  • Middle East Good News
  • Muna Abu Suleyman
  • Nawal El Saadawi
  • Noura Al Kaabi
  • Zainab Salbi
Valentina Primo

Journalist, globetrotter, and determined idealist. Since Valentina left her home country of Argentina, she has searched for ways to build bridges between cultures and foster dialogue. Her previous work in international organizations in Italy and Germany fed her passion for the world of development, while her 8-year journalistic experience in Argentina and Egypt increased her curiosity for everything that challenges the stereotype. She holds a BA in Journalism and a Masters in Peace Studies with a specialization in Human Rights.

Previous Article
Safari illustration by Hashem Kelesh
  • #Barakability
  • Lifestyle

5 English Words That Come From Arabic Origin

  • August 27, 2014
View Post
Next Article
7 Billion Moments Project by Egyptian photographer Mohamed ElMahdi
  • Art & Photography
  • Discovery
  • Lifestyle
  • The Arts

One Man, One Photo-Project, 7 Billion Moments

  • August 28, 2014
View Post

Subscribe

Subscribe now to our newsletter

You May Also Like
View Post
  • Business

Six Reasons to Invest in Dubai Property

  • October 12, 2021
View Post
  • Business

How Does a Sharia Mortgage Work?

  • August 4, 2021
View Post
  • Business

3 Must-Haves in a Job Listing Post

  • July 11, 2021
View Post
  • The Arts
  • TV, Film & Online Video

10 Internationally-acclaimed Arabic Movies

  • February 1, 2021
View Post
  • Business

Here’s What The Top Debt Consolidation Companies Have In Common

  • January 24, 2021
View Post
  • Business

Socially Powerful: Global Influencer Agency Taking Over UAE

  • November 18, 2020
View Post
  • Business

The Steps of Identifying the Trading Trend

  • November 10, 2020
View Post
  • Business

Types of Psychometric Tests

  • November 4, 2020
1 comment
  1. Pingback: Lebanon Gears Up For the Beirut Marathon Next November

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Trending
  • 1
    Six Reasons to Invest in Dubai Property
  • 2
    How Does a Sharia Mortgage Work?
  • 3
    Joining the Healthcare Industry with an Online Degree
  • 4
    3 Must-Haves in a Job Listing Post
  • 5
    5 Reasons Why You Should Buy a Dishwasher
Get some good news to your email

Subscribe

Subscribe now to our newsletter

Countries
Libya Yemen Algeria Jordan United Arab Emirates Turkey Iraq Syria Oman Tunisia Egypt Saudi Arabia Iran Morocco Palestine Lebanon Kuwait QatarBahrain
Stay Connected
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
YouTube Subscribers
Categories
  • Business
  • The Arts
  • Lifestyle
  • Education
  • Environment
  • #Barakability
Company
  • About Us
  • Archives
  • Intern at BarakaBits
  • Submit a Story
  • Why Advertise With Us?
  • Contact Us
BarakaBits
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
Good News from the Middle East

Input your search keywords and press Enter.