by Marie Kauna – EMTV Online, Port Moresby
Zainab Salbi is a 43-year-old Iraqi-American author; women’s rights activist, humanitarian, social entrepreneur and media commentator.
Growing up in a place where war and violence has been the only surrounding environment, Salbi has grown to experience the pain, struggles and fears many women like her experience in the nations that are at war.
And war and violence became the two drives that drove Salbi to becoming an advocate on issues affecting many females in and around the world.
At the age of 23, Salbi founded the Women for Women International, a charity to help female survivors of war; and for 20 years, Sainab has been advocating on issues affecting women, women’s rights and continues to help women.
Today, Salbi is one among many women, who have helped bring hope to many women,and her story is an inspiration to many. For Salbi, dedicating her life to dealing with women’s issues is considered one of her greatest achievements as she has lived to achieve her dreams.
And after spending 20 years in the humanitarian field, Salbi has now focussed on telling stories in a different way.
Like others, Salbi who believes in the quote “We see things as we are, we do not see things as they are”, has shifted her focus to telling the stories but in a different way.
Image Source: Zainab Salbi
In 2015, Salbi launched the Nidaá show, a talk back show to inspire women in the Arab world. Like Nidaá Show, Salbi initiated ‘the Zalbi Sainab project’ early this year in May.
The aim of the project is to tell stories from a female persepctive based upon the experiences they encounter in their lives. This helps to shatter stereotypes, and to courageously reveal the humanity that everyone shares.
The program presents stories of people who are struggling, surviving and thriving as they continue to encounter fear in their lives. The stories presented are collections from Salbi’s travels and experiences from America and Iraq. These issues include; Islamophobia experienced by American Muslim women and; how they become targets for physical and verbal abuse, ISIS and its impacts on the society, and radicalisation among youth.
She hopes to bring to light the issues many are facing. The program will be premiering on a Huffington Post Podcast.
Salbi hopes this project will empower many women to come out, and share their experiences of struggles, violence, pain and fear they encounter.
Image Source: thedailybeast.com
