Author Archives: willinitiative

You don’t see many women engineers coming out of Gaza but they do exist – Heba Al-Farra being one. This 30-year-old wife, mom-of-two, and environmental engineer from Palestine is humble yet hopeful. Being Palestinian has its challenges, she says, “To be Palestinian is not easy because your country is under occupation, your rights as a […]

Her impassioned fight for justice for victims of sexual violence saw her awarded this year’s Nobel Peace Prize, and Nadia Murad continued her mission on-stage while collecting the prestigious accolade. The Iraqi activist called for action to be taken against war criminals as she accepted her prize, which she has been co-awarded alongside Denis Mukwege, […]

For 24-year-old Zahra Lari, being first – or the only – is a badge of honor. The Emirati figure skating champion has racked up an impressive number of firsts in her ground-breaking career: first Emirati to compete in figure skating, first Middle Eastern woman to land a triple jump (at this year’s EduSport Trophy in […]

Following The Year of Reading in 2016, HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, declared that every March would be the annual month of reading, and 2019 is no exception. In October of 2017, President of the UAE HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan announced […]

World Hijab Day is on February 1 and in honor of the occasion, we celebrate the groundbreaking Muslim female athletes, politicians, musicians, and activists shattering glass ceilings. From Libyan-American journalist and activist Noor Tagouri to the first-ever hijab-wearing model Halima Aden, read on for the boundary-pushing hijabi women who continue to inspire. Halima Aden The […]

International Tunisian football referee Dorsaf Ganoiati made Arab women everywhere proud when she refereed a match in the Tunisian League. On Saturday, Ganoiati became the first Arab and African woman to referee a men’s first division match. Making history, the 33-year-old officiated the final match between Espérance Sportive de Tunis and Club Athlétique Bizertin. Ganoiati is no stranger […]

In celebration of the World Humanitarian Day’s tenth anniversary, the United Nations are honoring the 250,000 women aid workers who provide life-changing support to innocent lives in some of the world’s most dangerous places. Appointed by the United Nations Funds, Goodwill Ambassadors are leaders in the entertainment industry; film, music, television, and sports. Celebrities in […]

Princess Dr Reem Bint Mansour Al Saud on why we need more female leaders and how Middle East women are key to sustainable development Labor Day is marked in many countries (including in the Middle East, such as Egypt, Bahrain, Jordan, and Lebanon) on May 1 and Earth Day was observed worldwide this past April […]