11 Arab women on BBC’s list of Most Inspiring Women of...

The BBC has revealed its list of 100 Most Influential Women of the Year 2020The first place on the list remained without a specific name. He was awarded the “Unknown Heroine” in this exceptional year.

Due to the Corona epidemic, countless women from all over the world have made many sacrifices to help others, and many have lost their lives trying to make a difference through what they do.

Among the 100 names, 11 names came from Arab countries, which we will review here.

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Nisreen Alwan – Iraqi / British

Nisreen is a UK-based public health practitioner and academic who researches women’s and children’s health, focusing on pregnancy-related issues.

During the outbreak of the Corona epidemic, awareness was spread about the need for countries not only to measure death rates, but also to study the long-term diseases caused by the virus (including long-term Covid disease). People suffering from long-term COVID-19 disease reported symptoms that included fatigue, headache, and shortness of breath.

Dr. Nesrin says, “During 2020, I did three things more: I expressed my opinion more, did things that I feared, and I forgave myself. I also did less than do three things: caring about people’s opinion of me, blaming myself and believing that I am less valuable than Other than me. “

Safaa Kumari – Syria

As a scientist specializing in plant virology, Dr. Safaa Kumari on remedies for epidemics wreaking havoc on crops. After discovering seeds that can guarantee food security in her country, Syria, Dr. Safaa with her life to save these seeds from the city of Aleppo.

Dr. ruled. The serenity of many years in the discovery of plant species resistant to viruses, including a family of beans that can fight yellow weevil virus (FBNYV).

Says Dr. Safaa: “The world has changed a lot in 2020. When it comes to overcoming such challenges, it is a matter of people’s capabilities, not the gender we belong to. Women have to believe that their contributions are equal to those of men.”

Nadine Ashraf – Egypt

Nadine Ashraf studies philosophy and believes in social media as a tool for change. It has a great enthusiasm for disseminating knowledge so that it is available to the general public.

She is the founder of an Instagram page called “Assault Police,” through which she participates with Egyptian women by posting stories about harassment incidents they have experienced. The feminist movement now considers her an essential person in social change and the struggle against sexual harassment.

“I grew up surrounded by women who devoted their lives to pushing for change, and I never thought that I would be able to raise their voices more. You can always achieve what you believe in,” says Nadine.

Iman Ghaleb Al Hameli – To whom

Iman runs a group of ten women who installed a solar power plant to provide clean, low-impact energy. This station is only about 20 miles from the front line between the parties to the civil war in Yemen.

This mini-network is one of three networks established by the United Nations Development Program in non-network areas in Yemen. It is the only network that is completely managed by women. Initially, Iman’s team was ridiculed for doing the men’s job, yet they gained the respect of their community as well as earned a sustainable income and developed new professional skills.

“My message to all Yemeni girls is to fulfill their dreams. They must strive with confidence, and challenge all the difficulties that they will face in their lives, to achieve these dreams,” Eman says.

Elwad Elman Somalia

She is a young leader at the forefront of peacemaking in Somalia, with international weight in ending conflict and reconciliation between local communities.

When she was 20 years old, she helped found the first Rape Crisis Center. Over the past decade, Elwad has become a champion of peacemaking thanks to her endeavors to give everyone affected, especially women and girls, a seat at the dialogue table for an opinion.

“The epidemic provided a quick lesson to the world in the meaning of empathy,” she says. “We have seen women taking leadership positions, while others have failed to do so. It is not permissible anymore to treat women leaders as a second option, but rather they must become the priority.”

Life of Morshad – Lebanon

Feminist activist and journalist Hayat Mershad is one of the founders of Fe-Male, a pioneering feminist collective movement in Lebanon. Hayat devotes her time and effort to ensuring that women have access to justice, information, protection and rights.

Hayat is spreading its message through several platforms, including organizing rallies that include the whole country, urging the public to stand up against corrupt patriarchy and demand change.

Hayat says, “Despite all the hardships and obstacles, women throughout history have struggled to challenge patriarchy. We will continue this struggle through solidarity, sisterhood and love, and we will raise our voices and reinforce our demands for a future of justice and gender equality.”

Hoda Abu Booz – Morocco, West, sunset

Hoda Abouz, known artistically as Your Sister, is a Moroccan rapper who is known for her unique style and the distinct lyrics of her songs.

She advocates for women’s rights and gender justice. Hoda, who works in an atmosphere dominated by men, considers her music a tool for change.

“Keep on the struggle, creativity and resistance – never back down,” she says. “Our battle has just begun and we are all the world needs: It is the power of women.”

Sarah Al-Amiri – The United Arab Emirates

She is the Minister of State for Advanced Technologies and President of the Emirates Space Agency. She was the leader of the science team and deputy director of the Hope Probe project that was sent to Mars.

The UAE flight to explore Mars will be the first interplanetary sailing mission undertaken by an Arab country. The Hope Probe is expected to reach the Red Planet in February of 2021. It is scheduled to collect data that help study the planet’s climate and weather there.

Sarah says: “The virus required that the world enter a state of complete silence that we reflect, think about, and mature as individuals. We need collective efforts to continue maturing and to preserve the continuity of our fragile planet.”

Khatib promised – Syria

Waad Al-Khatib is a Syrian activist, journalist, photographer and director who has won several international awards, including an Emmy Award for her news reports on the city of Aleppo. In 2020, her first feature film (For Sama) won the BAFTA Award for Best Documentary Film, and was nominated for an Academy Award for the same category.

Since she was expelled from Aleppo in 2016, Waad has lived with her husband and two daughters in London, where she works with Channel 4 News and leads advocacy campaigns.

Waad (a pseudonym) says: “We only lose when we give up hope.

Maggie Gibran – Egypt

Mama Maguy Gibran devoted her life to changing the lives of marginalized children in Egypt, leaving a life of luxury and a distinguished academic career in order to devote all her energies to watching the children, washing their feet, and telling them as she looked into their eyes that their lives are important.

Since 1989, the Mama Maggie team has followed an integrated path that has changed the lives of hundreds of thousands of children by providing them with psychological support, education, health care and most of all: dignity.

Mama Maggie says: “When you reconcile with yourself, you will reconcile with the heavens and the earth.”

Nadine Kaadan – Syria

Since she was eight years old, the Syrian writer Nadine Kaadan has written and illustrated stories. Unsatisfied with the level of representation of people in the stories she was reading, she decided that her mission would be to make every child able to see themselves in the stories.

Influenced by her cultural heritage, she wanted to spread the culture of reading in the Arab countries. Her stories address topics such as children with disabilities and conflict in the Middle East.

“During the Corona epidemic and during conflicts, women continue to play the role of leaders and peacemakers. Despite this, the regimes are designed to be against them. The struggle must continue to redesign the structures of these systems so that women can fully express themselves,” Nadine says.