Dina Hafez | Decolonizing Heritage Through a Feminist Lens, One Bead at a Time
December 21, 2020
By: Alexandra Kinias
Designer and artist Dina Hafez is best known for her signature style of colorful mixed media pieces that combine craft, digital art, graphic design, and photography. Her work is concerned with feminism from a historic and cultural point of view. It evolves around decolonizing Egyptian History through a feminist lens. Through her art, Dina tries to address the misconception of imposed western narrative that was based on the “orientalist” photography – between mid 1800s to early 1900s where photography was exclusive to a handful to western male photographers whose objective was to sell a staged notion of Egypt to tourists… continue reading
“Aspire HR Consultants” Strives to Add Women on Corporate Boards | Interview with Founder Rania Abdalla
December 3, 2020
By: Dina Al Mahdy
Rania Abdalla graduated from the American University in Cairo majoring in Economics. She holds a Masters Degree in Human Resource Management from Kingston Business School, UK. Rania has more than 25 years of experience in Human Resources where she held senior managerial positions in Pepsico UK, UAE and Egypt prior to founding Aspire HR Consultants… continue reading .
Manal Hassan: The Angel in the Pandemic
November 23, 2020
By: May Allam
Since the start of COVID-19, Manal Hassan has spared no time, effort or resources to help people who contracted the virus, whether by providing them with food, medication or hospital beds.
With a major in economics and a minor in business administration, the AUC graduate, started a business with her husband. In 2007, she stepped out of the family business and worked as a financial consultant for multinationals before she joined the Arab African International Bank as Executive Director for AAIB foundation. Currently, she is working as the group director for sustainability for El Sewedy Electric Group. She is also the Vice President of El Sewedy Electric Foundation. continue reading ..
Exclusive Interview with Ambassador Moushira Khattab | Dina Al Mahdy
November 7, 2020
By: Dina Al Mahdy
Ambassador Moushira Khattab has a successful professional career. She served as Egypt’s Minister of Family and Population (2009-2011); Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for International Cultural Relations; vice chair for the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child; and former executive president of Kemet Boutros Ghali Foundation for Peace and Knowledge ‘KBBG’. Moreover, she was also head of the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood (NCCM) for 11 years. Her relentless efforts and fights for women and girls’ rights resulted in criminalizing female genital mutilation, child trafficking, and increase of the minimum age for marriage to 18… continue reading ..
INTERVIEW: Up Close and Personal with Model and Social Media Influencer Laila Ezzat
Tuesday August 18, 2020
By: May Allam
Laila Ezzat lives in Egypt with her family where she also attends college. At 21, her hobbies and interests are similar to most young people her age. She loves to bake cookies and muffins, listen to music, follows fashion trends, travels and spends time on the beach with her friends. Born with an adventurous spirit and outgoing nature, you may find her horse riding at the pyramids or paragliding in the mountains in Germany, when she has a chance. Laila’s life, however, is not entirely similar to young people her age. The mass communication student is also a model and a social media influencer, not a status she strived for, but who walked accidentally into it. continue reading ..
Interview With Master Chocolatier Mervat Dissoky
Sunday October 13, 2019 By: May Allam
After living for many years in Europe, where she learned to make chocolate and pastries in some of the best Chocolate Academies in Belgium and the UK, the passionate Chocolatier and Pastry Chef Mervat Dissoky settled back in Egypt. She turned her passion for chocolate into a business.…continue reading…
Interview with Dr. Hanaa Aboulghar, Founder of Banati Foundation for Girls in Street Situations
Wednesday August 14 2019 By: May Allam
Hanna Aboulghar’s childhood dream was to become a pediatrician. After graduating from medical school, she established her own practice and has been passionate about treating children since. Her passion to help children grew after she came across an article in a newspaper about a child living in the street who sought warmth under a truck, to end tragically under its wheels. This tragic accident …continue reading…
Amira El Masry Launches WANAS to Integrate Sudanese Children in Egypt through Art
Thursday July 18, 2019 By: May Allam
Believing in the importance of art in developing societies, Amira El Masry, utilized her passion for art to support Sudanese children living in Egypt. The 20-year-old economy student, launched WANAS initiative in cooperation with the American University in Cairo to integrate and empower Sudanese children in Egyptian society through art. The initiative aims to promote a culture of dialogue, the value of acceptance of the others and peaceful coexistence….continue reading…
Meet Marie Therese Bishay, Founder of Montessori Egyptian Center
Wednesday May 22, 2019 By: Kismat Mokhtar
With great passion to provide and implement the Montessori philosophy and education for underprivileged children, Marie Therese Beshay established a classroom with Montessori Educational Programs International (MEPI) certified teachers at Giza Mother and Child Organization and at St. Mary’s church in Manshiat Nasser. After receiving her Montessori diploma in 2001, Marie Therese Bishay served as a Montessori classroom directress at the International…continue reading…
An Entrepreneur Advice on How to Overcome Gender Challenges in Business
Sunday April 21, 2019 By: Amira Salem
Hend Gomaa, Co- Founder and Managing Director of Digify, has been working in the digital field for 20 years. When she started, there was just a handful of women working in this field in Egypt. She established Digify, a Digital Advertising Agency in 2011 and in 2016, she was named one of the Women to Watch in the Gulf Cooperation Council....continue reading…
Meet Dr. Sohair Wastawy, Executive Director of Qatar National Library
Saturday April 13, 2019 By: Dina Al-Mahdy
Dr. Sohair Wastawy, Executive Director of Qatar National Library, has more than 40 years of international library and university management experience in the Middle East and the US, and has practiced and taught librarianship in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the US. Prior to her new role, Dr. Wastawy worked as Dean of Libraries at Florida Institute of Technology. She held the position of Dean of University Libraries at Illinois State University, and was the first…continue reading…
A Tale of Darkness & Light: How A Mother of Cancer Survivor Turned Pain to Power
March 21, 2019 ــــ By: Dina Al Mahdy
Radwa Moussa-Youssef, 35, is a mother of three children (Zein, Malak and Aya). She lives in the USA with her family and runs her real estate business with her husband Tamer Youssef. A major life event occurred to Radwa and her family in February 2013 when her oldest son, Zein was diagnosed with Stage 4 Neuroblastoma cancer, and began a journey that turned her family’s life inside out. She published her first book, Zein, A Tale of Darkness and Light, which became a bestseller …continue reading…
Cartoonist Rasha Mahdy Draws to Empower Women
Thursday March 7, 2019 ــ By: Alexandra Kinias
Women empowerment art, especially cartoons, is gaining popularity and creating waves of change to women worldwide. Rasha Mahdy, apioneer woman in the field of editorial cartoons, is using her illustrations to advocate for and empower women, by focusing on the issues that hinder their growth.Since breaking into this field, women issues, rights, problems and challenges were among the major themes she….continue reading …
Maha Hesham Designs Stamps to Commemorate 9 Egyptian Pioneer Women
Monday March 4th, 2019 By: Alexandra Kinias
Since Queen Victoria appeared on the first adhesive postage stamp in 1840, portrait busts of rulers became standard of the early stamps. In contemporary times, countries continue to honor the distinguished members in their societies by featuring them on commemorative stamps, which are printed in limited quantities, and often sought after as collective items.…continue reading…
Yasmine Motawy; Senior Instructor of Rhetoric and Composition at the AUC
Monday February 4, 2019 By: Dina Al Mahdy
Despite facing great challenges, contemporary Arabic children’s literature has witnessed remarkable developments lately, both in quality of text, illustrations and breadth of subject matter. One of those driving forces behind this development is Yasmine Motway, a post-doctoral fellow at the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, HUSSLab at the American University in Cairo. Her relentless efforts in this field, have had a great impact on contemporary Arabic children’s literature….continue reading…
Every Space Has A Story; Interview with Interior Designer Tassilia Joundi
Thursday January 24, 2019 By: Alexandra Kinias
“Home is where the heart is.” — Elvis Presley
Our homes are our sanctuaries, comfort zones and feeling of belonging. At home, we relax, play, entertain and witness the birth of our intimate memories. When we build our dream homes, we also want to create friendly inviting places, and fill them with love and warmth. We customize them to reflect our taste and style. But with all the details, choices and decisions we have to make, the decorating process gets overwhelming.…continue reading…
A Certified Professional Organizer Aspires to Organize the World, One Home at A Time.
Thursday December 12, 2018 By: May Allam
Working for seven years for international organizations as a project management assistant and office manager gave Sherine Ezzeldine enough experience to set up, organize and maintain office space. The mother of three applied and adapted this knowledge to manage her home and run her family, efficiently, like a business; with all the work, rules and job description for family members….continue reading…
Meet Randa Al Mahdy: Egypt’s 2018 Iron Woman
Tuesday October 16, 2018 By: Alexandra Kinias
On October 7, Randa Al Mahdy completed the Ironman Barcelona 2018. Ironman competitions includes 3.8 km of Swimming, 180 km cycling and 42 km marathon. She had discovered her passion for endurance sports less than two years ago. And it took her one year to train for the competition. Al Mahdy was the only Egyptian woman who competed this year. She completed it in 13:01:48 hrs.…continue reading…
Zeinab Mobarak’s Writing Journey; Alam Simsim and Beyond
Sunday October 14, 2018 By: Dina Al Mahdy
When Alam Simsim, the Egyptian Sesame Street, first aired in Egypt, the show became an instant hit. It debuted in 1997 and was tailored for Egyptian children. Among the many humans and Muppets, the show introduced, Khokha (peach) was a feisty girl, orange in color, and who by all means was empowering young girls in her own muppety way. The success of the show was a collaborated effort of its team, among which the writers stood at center stage to convey its messages to the young viewers. Zeinab Mobarak headed the writing team of Alam Simsim at its beginning in 1997/1998….continue reading…
Engy Radwan Reveals the Secrets Behind the Success of Restaurant Business
Sunday August 8, 2018 By: Alexandra Kinias
Pure coincidence led Engy Radwan to restaurant business. After her graduation from the American University in Cairo, she worked at Trianon Bakeries as Assistant Marketing Manager. Radwan had never envisioned herself working in restaurant business, yet she enjoyed the work immensely. When the company acquired the franchise for The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, she was assigned head of the team traveling to Malaysia for training, at the head office in Kuala Lumpur…. continue reading …
Meet Hind Elhinnawy, the ِِEgyptian Woman Who Defied the Social Norms
Saturday July 21, 2018 By: May Allam
After stirring up controversy in the Egyptian society for being the first young women to file a paternity suit in 2005, Hind Elhinnawy shied away from the public life to raise her daughter. Leena Alfishawy, daughter of Elhinnawy and actor Ahmed Alfishawy was born out of an Urfi marriage, which Alfishawy denied after Elhinnawy got pregnant. Instead of having an abortion, the young mother-to-be defied the social norms of women in her situation and fought for her daughter’s right to live. In an unprecedented step, she publicly took Alfishawy to court, but he refused a court ruling to undergo a DNA test to prove his paternity… continue reading …
Iman Bibars: A Life Dedicated to Women Empowerment
Monday May 13, 2018 By: May Allam
When you talk about strong independent women, Dr. Iman Bibars comes to mind. The daughter of renowned author and journalist, Diaa El Din Bibars, worked her way all through collage defying her social status and raising eye brows, then, to the reason why a girl of her stature sought employment, while still a student. With four years’ experience in hand, and a degree in political science from the AUC, Bibars became valuable in the Egyptian job market in the 80s. She could have easily landed a dream job in any multinational bank or corporation, but instead she traveled to Minya in Upper Egypt to work with the Catholic Relief Services (CRS)…. continue reading …
Meet Ambassador Namira Negm, the First Female Legal Counsel of the African Union
Thursday April 16, 2018 By: May Allam
Despite the countless challenges women in Egypt face, many succeeded in breaking the social and gender stereotypes. They ventured in fields that have until recently been dominated by men and received national and international recognition. They are holding influential and prestigious positions worldwide and becoming role models for the younger generation…. continue reading …
On Bullying and Suicide with Sara Islam, Author of Second Chances
Friday April 13, 2018 By: WOE Staff
If you had a second chance to live your life again, what would you do differently? This is the premise of Second Chances, Sara Islam’s, 20, debut novel. It tells the story of Lara Davis, a popular teenager, bullied by her schoolmates. When a humiliating video of her goes viral, she attempts suicide. While unconscious from an overdose, Davis gets a glimpse at her life and how her suicide affected everyone around her. Second Chances also sheds light on parental abuse and self-harming…. continue reading ..
Eiten Zeerban – Born to be a TV journalist!
Friday March 9, 2018 By: Jaylan El Shazly
When Eiten Zeerban was twelve years old, she took all her savings and bought herself a tape recorder to interview people. From there on, she carved her way through the world of journalism.
After years of experience working in television journalism in Egypt, Lebanon, the United States, and England, Zeerban now presents a successful online weekly show called Cold Coffee with Eiten.… continue reading ….
Hala Aboulela aspires to improve education in Egypt, one school at a time
By: May Allam Sunday March 3, 2018
With a vision to provide better learning opportunities for children in Egypt, Hala Aboulela, shifted her career from web design to education. The founder and president of Montessori Foundation of Egypt, and the mother of two, spent a significant amount of time researching and learning about different education methods. She developed a passion for Montessori education and decided to bring the authentic Montessori education to Egypt, for the first time…. continue reading ….
Sherouk Ibrahim: An Accountant Turned Fashionista
Monday November 13, 2017 WOE Staff
Zagazing University Commerce graduate, Sherouk Ibrahim, has been passionate about clothes and fashion since she was a young girl. It became challenging for her, as she was growing up, to find clothes to fit her. That forced her to buy whatever was available in the market and adjust the sizes. On many occasions, she ended up designing her own clothes… continue reading ….
How A Car Accident Changed Marianne Awad’s Life
Saturday November 4, 2017
By: May Allam
Life can change in a blink of an eye. No one expects to be a victim of a car accident, and survivors are never prepared for a life after. It brings some of your dreams to an end, puts your life on hold, and changes your priorities. It’s a fate twister, a moment you wish to re-wind or delete. It leaves you with anger, shock, and many unanswered questions. It changes your life forever…. continue reading …
Maggie Riad’s Inspiring Journey from Economist to Jewelry Maker
Saturday October 28, 2018
By: Jaylan ElShazly
“The things worth doing seldom come easy” – Author Unknown
Sitting on a Red Sea beach for the first time after recuperating from a devastating accident, Maggie Riad pondered about her life and where to find strength to continue her journey as a jeweler. She hadn’t regained yet full function of her legs and arms after a maniac driver hit her while jogging one early morning. With her limited mobility, her only source of entertainment was ruffling through the seashells on the shore…. continue ….
Real Women Ride Motorcycles
Wednesday October 4, 2017
By: WOE Team
A Ladies of Harley’s member, Dina Wassef ranks among the pioneer female bike riders who are breaking social taboos in Egypt. After graduating from the University of Fine Arts in 2007, Wassef worked as Sales Manager for Harley Davidson Egypt. That’s where she discovered her passion for bikes, learned to ride and hasn’t stopped since…. continue reading …
Aya Abdel Salam’s Journey to Fashion Design & Furniture Business
Thursday September 14, 2017
By: WOE Staff
After working for multinational companies for several years, Aya Abdel Salam co-founded “Comoda” a furniture design factory, and within a few years her showrooms achieved high sales in spite of the fierce market competition. Her success in the furniture business motivated her to pursue her childhood passion of creating her own clothing brand. Bijar, her fashion brand which she launched in 2015, became an instant hit …..continue reading …
Radwa El-Ghamry Touches The Clouds!
Saturday July 7, 2017
By: Jaylan El Shazly
At the age of 4, Radwa El-Ghamry dreamt of touching the clouds. Little did she know that a mere 10 years later she would start a remarkable journey of firsts for female skydivers in the Arab world. At 14, she completed her first skydive jump and continued with her training to make 6 more jumps in a technique called static line skydiving. However, by the time she started college she was pressured by her parents to stop in fear for her safety. After she moved to Dubai with her husband, El-Ghamry reached out to Skydive Dubai to resume her childhood passion. Unfortunately,…. continue reading ….
3 Egyptian Women Tell About Their Intercultural Marriages
Saturday July 1, 2017
WOE Team
The number of Egyptian women marrying foreign men of different ethnic and cultural backgrounds is increasing, defying the social customs and traditions. In the cyber age, love is no longer restrained by geographical boundaries. Dating is made easier through social networks and dating sites. And with more women travelling abroad to study or to work, it became easier to meet the men of their dreams. Is it only love that attracts women to intercultural relationships, or is it also because women feel that foreign men treat them better than Middle Eastern men? … continue reading …
In Depth With Passante Adel
Saturday June 10, 2017
By: WOE Team
Two years ago, in 2015, Passante Adel left behind her job as an editor of a monthly publication in Cairo and moved to Dahab with her 6-years old son. Because of a near drowning experience as a child, she had developed fear of submergence in water, even in a pool. But living in Dahab became a life changing experience for the 30-years old single mom. Against all odds,…. continue reading ….
Azza Abdelhamid’s Pioneering Work to Enhance the Quality of Life for Egyptian Orphans
Saturday May 20, 2017
By: Jaylan ElShazly
Azza Abdelhamid, started her journey to serve the community and care for underprivileged children more than 20 years ago. In 1997, she founded Nida Society for the rehabilitation of children with sensory communication disorders and served as the chairperson for over a decade. Because of her efforts, over one thousand children with hearing impairment disorders have been integrated in mainstream education…. continue reading ….
From Inside The Refugee Camps With Shaden Khallaf
Saturday April 15, 2017
By: May Allam
Shaden Khallaf is the senior policy advisor for the MENA Bureau of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Amman, Jordan. She is the most senior Arab woman in policy-making related to the biggest displacement crisis in recent history.
During her 18 years working with the UN, she traveled extensively throughout the region and her assignments spanned a wide range of responsibilities including refugee women and child protection, post-conflict transitions and reconstruction, designing advocacy and communications strategies and …. continue reading …..
Award Winning Author Reveals Challenges Writing for Children and Teenagers
Saturday April 1,2017
By: Iman Refaat
Rania Hussein Amin, children’s books author and illustrator, won the 2016 Etisalat Prize for Arabic Children’s Literature in the Young Adult category, for her book Sorakh Khalf al Abwab (Screaming Behind Doors). This was the first book she wrote for children above the age of twelve… continue reading ….
Francesca Araiza’s “Raise Your Voice” Fights for Egyptian Women’s Rights One Documentary at a Time
Saturday March 25, 2017
By: Alexandra Kinias
It didn’t take Francesca Araiza long to realize how sexual harassment in Egypt has no limits. The Berlin based film maker witnessed firsthand this shocking experience when she visited Egypt for the first time in 2014 to work on Cairo Jazzman – a political music documentary set in the heart of the Arab world, and tells the story of ….. continue reading ..
A Hearing-Impaired Dentist Sends A Message of Hope
Monday, March 13, 2017
By: May Allam
Esraa El Bably is a woman of exceptional qualities. Born with hearing impairment did not hinder her ability to become a successful dentist, in a world where studying to become a dentist is a challenge on its own. Not only that, she also became the first dentist with hearing disability to open her own clinic in Sherouk City,… continue reading ..
Egypt’s Easy Rider Travels the Country on a Motorbike
Tuesday February 14, 2017
By: May Allam
On October 29, 2016, Shereen Adel, a computer science graduate, travel writer and a passionate biker, became the first Egyptian woman to tour Egypt on a motorcycle. Together with 4 other riders, including her husband, she completed a circular route of 2700 km in 9 days, from Cairo to … continue reading …
IT Executive Returned Home To Make a Difference In Rebuilding Egypt
Saturday January 14, 2017
By: Iman Refaat
After working for fifteen years in the U.S. in information technology and financial services, Reem Asaad left behind a successful IT consulting firm and returned to Egypt in 2006 to join Raya Holding, a leading financial investment company specializing in IT and Telecommunication industry. Within months she became its IT Director…. continue reading …
Nahla Elalfy’s Journey from Engineering to the Runway
Monday January 9, 2017
By: Amany Zayed
Nahla Elalfy graduated as an engineer in 2002, but in an unusual career shift, she retired her degree to follow her passion of fashion design. A busy mother of two daughters, she anticipated the challenges facing her, but none the less she decided to pursue her dream. Nahla’s perseverance, determination and optimism, attention to details and artistic vision were among many factors that brought Nahla Elalfy Designs to life… continue reading …
Taboo: An Egyptian Woman’s Vision for Happier Relationships
Tuesday November 29, 2016
By: Alexandra Kinias
From behind her computer screen, thousands of miles away from Egypt, 32-years old Latifa G., created and administers Taboo*, a Facebook group for women. True to its name, Taboo, a modern day advice column, encourages women to freely share and discuss personal, sensitive and social issues that have been kept off limits for too long… continue reading .
A Unique Woman’s Creative Journey
Friday November 18, 2016
By: May Allam
In 2007, computer engineer, Theresa Khalil moved from the polluted and chaotic city of Cairo, to start a new life in Sharm El Sheikh. Not quite common for a single woman to live alone, but for Theresa, a person guided through life by her passion for creativity, change and doing what she enjoys best, she followed the path she believed in. Life in Sharm El Sheikh wasn’t easy for the single young women … continue reading …
Amany Khalil: Egypt’s Ironwoman
By: Habiba Elhady
Thursday October 27, 2016
Amany Helmy Khalil, the 50-years-old mother of two, is the first Egyptian woman to complete the Ironman Triathlon in Barcelona, Spain on October 2, 2016. The Ironman Triathlon consists of a three sequential stage competition that includes a 2.4-mile (3.86 km) swim, a 112-mile (180.25 km) bicycle ride and a marathon 26.22-mile (42.20 km) run, without a break.
This high endurance extreme sport is considered the most challenging single day event in the world. Many competitors are professional athletes, but as it is gaining popularity the sport is attracting people from all walks of life. Amany is among many who have joined the growing Triathlon generation in Egypt. continue reading ….
Ghada El Wakil, Prime Minister of the Women Government Says She Was Inspired By Benazir Bhutto
By: Iman Refaat
Saturday October 1, 2016
Ghada El-Wakil’s vivacious eloquence captures you. Her positive energy, optimism and courage are contagious. While a published author, journalist, philosopher, politician, and activist, Ghada is also an active contributor in the community. Despite her accomplishments, the president of the women’s committee at the Turath (Heritage) NGO and founder and prime minister of the Women Government has no dreams of leaving behind a legacy, yet she is a living one…. continue reading …..
Women of Egypt Network 