Category: Women / Girls

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

Tawakkol Karman , First Arab Woman Nobel Peace Laureate (and Youngest) – 2011

Tawakkol Abdel-Salam Khalid Karman, Yemeni Journalist, Politician and Human Rights Activist.

Earned nicknames in Yemen ‘Iron Woman’ (aka) ‘Mother of the Revolution’

Nobel Peace Prize :

  • co-winner . Tawakkol Karman along with Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Leyman Gbowee were the co-recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize 2011

First/s :

  • First Female Arab to win the Nobel Peace Prize
  • Youngest Person to win the Nobel Peace Prize
  • First Yemeni to win the Nobel Peace Prize
  • Second Muslim Woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize

Awards, Others:

  • Social Entrepreneur of the Year – The Asian Awards (2019)
  • Awarded 1st Position ‘Top 100 Global Thinkers’ – by Foreign Policy (2011)

Other/s :

  • Member – International Advisory Board of the MBI Al Jaber Media Institute, Yemen
  • Member – Yemeni Journalists Syndicate
  • Content oversight in charge : Facebook (2020)

Co-Founder :

  • Women Journalists Without Chains

www.tawakkolkarman.net/en

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Taz Governorate, Yemen / Turkey

Ahdeya Ahmed First Female President of Bahrain Journalist Association (BJA) : November 2019

Ahdeya Ahmed Al-Sayed , Bahrain – TV personality and Journalist, has many firsts to her credit.

Deputy Editor-in-Chief , for the english language ‘Daily Tribune’

First/s :

  • First female President of Bahrain Journalist Association (BJA)
  • First Arabian Gulf Woman to be elected member of ‘The International Federation of Journalist (IFJ) Gender Council’.

Other/s :

  • Winner – Arab Woman of the Year Award for the category ‘Achievement in Journalism’ 5th edition – by The London Arabia organisation
  • Member – Bahrain’s International Federation of Journalists Gender Council

Assignments :

  • Spokesperson of the Government of Bahrain
  • Spokesperson- Bahrain Human Rights Watch
  • Official Spokesperson for the ‘ Bahrain Parliamentary Election’ (2006)

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Bahrain

Halima Aden, First fully covered American Muslim Teen Contestant in Miss. Minnesota US : 2016

Halima Aden is the first american muslim teen to wear a hijab in the Miss. Minnesota USA pageant.

Supermodel, activist and humanitarian

First’s:

  • First woman to wear a hijab in the Miss. Minnesota USA pageant.
  • First contestant to wear a burkini and a hijab
  • First hijab wearing model featured on the covers of Vogue Arabia, Allure and British Vogue
  • First Somali-American to participate in student government in college
  • Crowned first Muslim Homecoming Teen, St.Cloud’s Apollo High School, Minnesota

Honours :

  • UNICEF Ambassador, to support UNICEF’s mission to put children first ( July 2018).

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American / Somali-American

Nadia Mohamed elected ‘Council Member’ of St. Louis Park (MN) USA : November 2019

Nadia Mohamed was elected as ‘Council Member’ of the St.Louis Park City, Hennepin County, Minnesota, USA. She has many firsts to her credit .

Firsts :

  • The City Council’s first Somali elected member
  • The City Council’s first Muslim elected member
  • The City Council’s first Woman of colour elected member

Award:

  • St. Louis Park Human Rights Award (2018)

Profile:

  • Member – St. Louis Park Multicultural Advisory Committee
  • Volunteer – St. Louis Park High School’s High Achievement Program

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American / Somali American / Somalia

Miriam Merad elected to U.S’s ‘National Academy of Sciences’ : May 2020

Immunologist Dr. Miriam Merad elected to the prestigious American National Academy of Sciences.

Presently:

  • Professor – Cancer Immunology
  • Director – Precision Immunology Institute , ICahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai, New York City, New York
  • Vice President – International Union of Immunological Sciences

Awards:

  • William B Coley Award for Distinguished Research in Basic & Tumour Immunology (2018)
  • Leukemia Research Foundation Award (2006)
  • Member – U.S. National Academy of Sciences
  • Member – American Society for Clinical Investigation

Education:

  • M.D. – Algiers 1 University / – Paris Diderot University
  • PhD – Stanford University

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American / French-Arab / Algeria

Amani Al-Salim – First Middle East Researcher from Saudi in ‘Organ Donation’ : April 2020

Dr. Amani Bint Abdulaziz Bin Ibrahim (aka) Amani Al-Salim, Saudi researcher notches up several firsts

Education:

Ph.D – Health Marketing, Griffith University, Queensland, Australia

Award:

  • Best paper in social marketing – by Australian and New Zealand Marketing Academy Conference 2018 (ANZMAC)

Firsts :

  • First Middle East Researcher in the field of Organ Donation
  • First Saudi Woman to participate in a Referee Committee
  • First Saudi Woman member and Assistant Researcher in the Research Centre of Griffith University, Australia

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Saudi Arabia

Latifa Al Afraoui – Wins ‘World Music Award – 2004

Latifa (aka) Latifa Bint Alaya Al Arfaoui – Tunisian pop singer and actress

Award:

Winner – World Music Award – Best selling artist in Middle East and North Africa (MENA) for her album ‘Ma Etrohsh Ba’ed’ (Don’t go away).

Lives in Tunisia, UAE and Egypt

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Tunisia

Amney Jamal Elected to ‘American Academy of Arts & Sciences’ – April 2020

Dr. Amney Jamal – Princeton University has been named as one of the members of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences.

She is Princeton faculty of : Edward S. Sanfords – Professor of Politics / Director – Mamdouha S. Bobst Center for Peace and Justice

Jamal is Senior Advisor – PEW Research Center Projects . Conducts Workshops on Arab Political Development, Princeton University

Education:

Bachelors – UCLA – 1993

PhD – Political Science, University of Michigan

Books :

  • Barriers to Democracy : The other side of Social Capital in Palestine and the Arab World – (2002) / ‘ Winner ADSA Best Book Award 2008
  • Race and Arab Americans Before and After 9/11: From Invisible Citizen to Visible Subject – (2007) (co-author with Nadine Christine)
  • Citizenship and Crisis : Arab Detroit after 9/11 – (2009)
  • Of Empires and Citizens – Pro-American Democracy or No Democracy at All – (2012)

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USA / Arab-American / Palestine

Nawal El Moutawakel – Olympian – Gold Medallist .

Nawal El Moutawakel , Morocco. Olympic Gold Medallist. 400 metres hurdles, women. Summer Olympics – 1984

Positions :

  • Minister for Youth and Sports, Morocco – 2007
  • Council Member – International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) – 1995
  • Council Member – International Olympic Committee (IOC) – 1998
  • President – Assocation Marocaine des Sports ets Development (AMSD)
  • Vice-President – Moroccan Royal Federation of Athletics

Firsts :

  • First Woman from a Muslim majority country to win an Olympic Gold Medal
  • First Moroccan to win an Olympic Gold Medal

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Morocco