Meet the Five Superwomen of the Middle East.

By Jana Roumie

Throughout the last few years, women in the Middle East have seen progress regarding gender equality and female empowerment in the region. In 2018, Saudi Arabia granted women permission to drive, and in 2019, women dominated the Lebanese revolution. However, women across the region are still facing discrimination, violence and inequality, as they are stripped away of their decision-making positions, political participation and their civil rights. According to the World Bank Association, women in the Middle East make up only 25% of the workforce and 7% of parliamentary seats. Due to many cultural and social restrictions, women in the Middle East may face a long and rough path towards gender equality. But, the following five women are breaking social norms and boundaries, to help change the lives of thousands of women across the Middle East. 

Yanar Mohammed 

Yanar Mohammed is one of Iraq’s most well-known feminists, whose humanitarian work helped save over 800 women from the brutal cycle of gender-based violence in the country. She is also the president of the Organization of Woman’s Freedom in Iraq. As a result of her hard work, she received the Gruber Prize in 2008 and the Rafto Prize in 2016, both for her role in defending women's rights. Mohammed was first motivated to become a female rights activist, after being shocked and hurt from the discovery that her grandfather had married his ex-wife’s sister, who was 14 years old. Since then, her life has revolved around helping women survive abuse, by opening shelters in Iraq and more for vulnerable, at-risk women. She has devoted a lot of her time and energy into helping these women by providing them with human rights, education, support, safe homes and valuable training skills. 

Dina Ghandour

Dina Ghandour is a certified yoga teacher, who’s using her skills as a yogi to help pregnant women through their journey to motherhood. According to the UN, approximately 830 women die a day from childbirth. However, Ghandour is one woman in the UAE looking to change that by creating a calm and uplifting environment, that helps women overcome the fear that's often associated with childbirth. Ghandour now takes care of women by helping them deal with post-pregnancy problems such as post-natal depression, motherhood, nursing and attachment. She went on to established 'yApparel' in 2014, which is the first dedicated yoga and fitness boutique in the Middle East.  

Hayat Sindi

Hayat Sindi is a Saudi-Arabian medical scientist, who has a long list of overwhelmingly brilliant achievements. She became the first Saudi Arabian, Muslim woman in the Gulf region to have a PhD in biotechnology. Sindi comes from a Muslim family and practices the religion, but, she was pressured to let go of her faith by her classmates while studying in London. However, she disagreed and now embodies the message that someone's religion, race, colour or gender has no relation to their scientific contributions. She is extremely passionate about educating more women in the field of science and technology. Sindi also became one of the first members of the Consultative Assembly of Saudi Arabia and founded Diagnostics For All, an NGO that offers medical care and diagnostics tools to the poorest areas around the Gulf region. 

 Zainab Salbi 

Zainab Salbi is truly, a real-life superwoman. Born in Baghdad, Iraq, she is a women's right activist, writer, public speaker and humanitarian. Her experiences with war and abuse led her to found Woman for Woman International, an organization that helps women who are survivors of war. Salbi's humanitarian organization has now grown to help over 478,000 women in eight different areas of conflict around the world. From a young age, Salbi experienced the horrors of war, as she lived in Iraq during the Iran-Iraq war. Her father was a trusted companion of Iraq's dictatorial president, therefore, exposing her to psychological abuse from her family. Salbi is constantly speaking out about the disturbing use of violence and rape during times of war. Her incredible work has been featured on multiple media outlets, including The Oprah Winfrey Show.  

Joumana Haddad 

Lebanese author, public speaker and women’s right activist, Joumana Haddad, is known best for her work revolving around feminism in the Arab world. She launched a TV show in November 2018 on Alhurra highlighting the topics of freedom of speech and critical thinking. She has published over 10 poetry books and two novels, with her work being so successful, that it has now been translated into 13 languages. Born and raised in Beirut, Lebanon, Haddad experienced multiple threats and has been heavily criticized for her views on feminism and LGBT rights, but that didn’t stop her.