Category: Women / Girls

Rakhia Ismail, First British-Somali female Mayor : May 2019

Councillor Rakhia Mohammed Ismail , the first hijab wearing female Mayor of Islington, North London.

Achievements:

  • First elected to Islington Council – 2012
  • Deputy Mayor – 2018
  • Founder : ‘Back 2 Basics Create’ – an NGO charity supporting hard to reach women and mothers
  • First muslim and BAME cabinet member in Islington
  • Founding member – Islington Stand Up Racism

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British / Somali-British

Najat Rochdi of Morocco Appointed UN Dy. Special Coordinator for Lebanon : June 2020

Najat Rochdi of Morocco was appointed as United Nations Deputy Special Co-ordinator for Lebanon by Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary-General.

She will also serve as Humanitarian Co-ordinator.

Previous Assignments :

  • Senior Adviser to the Special Envoy for Syria
  • Director of Peer to Peer with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Geneva.
  • Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General
  • Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator with the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA).  
  • Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Cameroon
  • Deputy Director of the Representative Office of the United Nations Development Programme, Geneva

Education:

  • PhD – Doctorate in information systems, National Institute of Statistics and of Applied Economics, Rabat
  • Master’s degree in mathematics and fundamental applications, University of Paris Sud 11. 
pix: un.org

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Morocco

Amal Al-Agroobi – Emirati Neuro-Scientist / Filmmaker : UAE

Amal Al-Agroobi – Emirati Neuro-scientist . Documentary filmmaker, Director, Producer, Writer and Entreprenuer

Entreprenuer:

  • Founder & Owner : AlAgroobi, production company

Awards:

  • Digital Studio Awards for Best Up and Coming Filmmaker of the Year – 2013
  • Digital Studio Awards Best Production (special commendation) for The Brain That Sings – 2014
  • The People’s Choice Award at the Dubai International Film Festival – 2014
  • Women in Film and Television honored as Best New Director – 2014

Education:

M.Sc. : Neurosciences, University College, London

B.Sc : Biomedical Sciences, University of Durham, U.K.

Certificate : Short film production

Certificate : Acting for film

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United Arab Emirates

13 women appointed to Saudi Human Rights Commission : July 2020

Thirteen women have been appointed to the Saudi Human Rights Commission (HRC) under a royal decree issued by Saudi Arabia’s King Salman.

“Appointing 13 women as members of the HRC council, with a total of 26 members, is in line with efforts made by the Kingdom’s leadership to enable women to occupy leading positions in various fields, and helps achieve what is best for the country,” said Dr. Awwad bin Saleh Al-Awwad, head of the HRC

source: www.arabnews.com

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Saudi Arabia

Ilhan Omar – First Somali-American Elected to U.S. Congress : November 2018

Ilhan Omar (aka) Ilhan Abdullahi Omar – American politician serving as U.S. Representative for Minnesota’s 5th Congressional district since 2019.

Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar

First/s:

  • First Somali-American elected to U.S. Congress (November 06th, 2018)
  • First of two Muslim women elected to U.S.Congress (November 06th, 2018). The other candidate being Rep. Rashida Tlaib
  • First Woman of colour to hold elective office for Minnesota

Education:

  • BA – North Dakota State University

Book:

Memoir : ‘This is what America looks like : My journey from Refugee to Congresswoman’

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American / Somali-American

Taleedah Tamer, Saudi Arabia’s First Couture Model

Taleeda Tamer, Jeddah based Kingdom’s first fashion model.

Made history in July 2018 as the first Saudi model to walk the Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week. Opened for the Italian designer Antonio Grimaldi couture show at ‘Salons France-Amerique’ in Paris.

First’s :

  • First Saudi model to walk a couture runaway in Paris
  • First Saudi model to be on the cover of an International magazine ‘ Harper’s Bazaar Arabia ( Jul/Aug 2018)
  • Featured as one of two Saudi’s to be selected as one of the ‘100 New Wave Creatives’ by the British Fashion Council

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Saudi Arabia

Shatha Hammad Wins ‘One World Media New Voice Award ‘ : June 2020

Shatha Hammad – Local and young Journalist with the Middle East Eye (MEE) wins the ‘One World Media New Voice Award’ .

The Jury recognised her ability to ‘illuminate political and social issues’ in the West Bank.

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West Bank, Palestine

Tunisia’s ‘National Dialogue Quartet’ Wins Nobel Peace Price : October 2015

The Quartet of Tunisian General Labour Union (UGGT), The Tunisian Confederation of Industry, Trade and Handicrafts (UTICA), the Tunisian Human Rights League (LTDH) and the Tunisian Order of Lawyers were awarded the Nobel.

Winner of Nobel Peace Prize for helping building pluralistic democracy in Tunisia.

pix: abc.net.au

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Tunisia

Zeinab Badawi – International TV Personality of the Year – 2009

Zeinab Badawi , Journalist , Presenter, News Reader – TV and Radio

Currently with : BBC

Programs

  • World News Today / HARD Talk / GMT / BBC News at Five

Awards :

  • International TV Personality of the Year (2019) by Association of International Broadcasters
  • President’s Medal of the British Academy (2018)

Other Positions :

  • Adviser to the ‘Foreign Policy Centre’
  • Council Member ‘Overseas Development Institute’
  • Chair – Royal African Society – 2014
  • Trustee – National Portrait Gallery – 2004
  • Trustee – British Council
  • Advisory Board Member – ‘New College of the Humanities’

Founder & Chair :

  • Africa Medical Partnership Fund (AfriMed)

Education:

  • Bachelors – Philosophy, Politics and Economy – St. Hilda’s College, Oxford – SOAS, University of London
  • M.A – Politics, Anthropology – School of Oriental & African Studies (SOAS), University of London -1989
  • Honorary Doctorate of Letters – SOAS – 2011
facebook.com

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British / Sudanese-British

Arab Space Scientist : Diana AlSindy

Diana AlSindy – Rocket Scientist. Propulsion Development Engineer.

Designs propulsion pressurant systems for rockets at private space agency Virgin Orbit.

Founder – @TheArabianStargazer ‘The Arabian StarGazer’

Promotes STEM to Arab youth from all over the world. Bi-lingual.

pix: brookeowensfellowship.org

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American / Iraqi-American