MENA Advocates for Gender Equality
Advocates for Gender Equality (AGE) is an activist-led initiative that aims to raise awareness and build momentum for gender parity through targeted working groups, beginning with the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
MENA-AGE is a volunteer group composed of gender advocates from all around the world who work together online. The group is committed to advancing gender equality within the Middle East and North Africa and among the region’s diaspora by creating engaging and educational initiatives. MENA-AGE was incubated under AMEL from inception in 2020 until it became an independent entity two years later. Since then, AMEL and MENA-AGE have continued to partner together on initiatives to empower women and build momentum for gender equality.
Check out the latest from MENA-AGE on Instagram, and the website!
Team
Hadil Alashwal, Founder & Managing Director
Hadil is a Yemeni feminist, writer, and activist. She was raised in Yemen and has lived in different countries in the Middle East, Europe, and North America. Her experience with gender inequality in different cultures has come to play a seminal role in shaping her perspective and commitment to promoting gender justice in MENA and all around the world. Hadil holds an MBA from Cardiff Metropolitan University where she was selected as a representative, exemplary woman to inspire others. Currently, she works as a consultant at The World Bank Group, Education, MENA in Washington, DC.
Ghida Abdulatef Ahmed, Graphic Designer / Visual artist
Ghida is a Yemeni graphic designer and visual artist who works as a freelance designer for social media platforms. She’s passionate about helping underrepresented people and has worked at several institutes as a trainer for graphic design programs. For instance, she worked for the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) as a designer and photographer, participated in the filming of a video that showed the devastation caused by the war in Aden, Yemen, as well as the suffering and needs of the displaced people in the refugee camps. She holds a BA from Lebanese International University in the department of design and advertising. As a volunteer for MENA AGE, she designs social media content.
Alaa Al-Eryani, Gender Consultant & Producer
Alaa is a gender equality advocate and Women Deliver Young Leader Alumna. She is the founder of the Yemeni Feminist Movement (YFM) platform. Born out of the frustration of women being constantly sidelined throughout Yemen’s political instability and war, the YFM is the first Yemeni feminist online platform. It raises awareness about feminism and discriminatory laws and practices against women in Yemen. In addition to working as a gender consultant and producer at MENA AGE, Alaa is the content manager of Banat Al-Youm, an online platform that empowers young Arab girls through inspiring storytelling, resources, and content.
Sarah Al-Eryani, Marketing & Communications Specialist
Sarah is a marketer, gender equality advocate and writer. She grew up in different countries in the MENA region, as well as Europe and Australia. She noticed the gender gap differences between the different regions, which inspired her to be a gender equality advocate. She has experience in the marketing field where she worked for different companies and NGOs, such as General Motors and Oxfam. She is currently studying her MBA in Marketing Communications at the University of Melbourne.
Zoe Bourne, Intern
Zoe is currently pursuing a BA in Business with a minor in Communications at George Washington University. During her freshman year she worked in the international development field as a consultant for a Ugandan Technology company while studying international affairs and Arabic.
Somaya Gama, Producer, Presenter and Content Creator
Somaya is a Yemeni digital nomad, who works as a content creator on her social media platforms and collaborates with other media platforms, taking the rolls of a producer, host, writer and other media-related work. She also organizes educational trips and retreats to some of the countries she has visited. Her previous projects were with UNESCO in Yemen where she produced five videos on Yemeni Heritage. Her content promotes women empowerment, equality and humanity. As a volunteer for MENA AGE, she contributes to the production of the videos and social media content.
Milad Pournik, Senior Gender Analyst
Milad Pournik is a member of the 2018 UN Young Professional Program Roster for Social Affairs. He has worked as a Policy Analyst for the World Policy Analysis Center (WORLD) at UCLA. Milad also served as a consultant for the World Bank Gender and Development team and with Management Systems International (MSI). During his tenure as a Research Associate with the Global Gender Program at George Washington University, he published a working paper on Civil Society Organizations and Empowerment of Women and Girls in Iran. Prior to beginning his professional career, Milad interned with the Women’s National Committee of Yemen and UNDP’s Regional Bureau for Arab States. Milad received a Masters in Global Policy from the LBJ School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin and a Masters in Economic and International Relations from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland.