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Casablanca- Arab magazine Sayidaty recently paid tribute to Arab women by publishing a list of the 50 most influential Arab women in 2014. 8 exceptional Moroccan women have made it to the list.
From the realm of politics, Morocco’s representative on Sayidaty’s list is Mbarka Bouaida, Minister Delegate to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation. Ms. Bouaida holds an MBA from Hull University (England), a Master of Communication from the University of Toulouse, and a diploma from the Higher School of Management Casablanca. She was named Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in 2012. Last year she was chosen by the Tarik Ibn Ziyad Initiative (TIZI Initiative) among 20 young Moroccan leaders for 2013.
Former Moroccan champion Nawal El Moutawakel, one of Morocco’s ambassadors of accomplishment in sports at the international level, also made to Sayidaty’s list. El Moutawakel is the first female Muslim born on the African continent to become an Olympic champion. El Moutawakel was also recently listed by the magazine Jeune Afrique as one of the most influential personalities in the world.
Moroccan human rights activist Khadija Riyadi is among the 50 most influential Arab women listed. Former President of the Morocco Association for Human Rights, Khadija Riyadi has been a human rights activist since 1983. She was awarded the prestigious United Nations Human Rights Prize in 2013. She is also the coordinator of a network of 22 human rights NGOs in Morocco.
Another prominent Moroccan woman on Sayidaty’s list is 27-year-old Moroccan researcher Asmaa Boujbar. Daughter of a Moroccan architect, and a Tunisian mother, Asmaa Boujibar studied at Université Blaise Pascal Clermont-Ferrand II in France. She received her master’s degree in 2010, after presenting her thesis entitled “Study of chemical equilibrium between mantle and core in the context of the formation of terrestrial planets.” She is originally from Northern Morocco.
Moroccan distinguished journalist Fatima Ifriqui is another such influential Arab woman. Fatima has worked for the Moroccan public channel Al Aoula for several years, hosting a multitude of cultural and artistic TV shows. She is also known for her controversial critical writings, which are published on a plethora of platforms.
Moroccan journalist, poet and writer Nihad Ben Aguida is also featured among the 50 influential Arab women. She is most known for hosting the Moroccan TV Show “Kissat A’naas,” (Story of the people) Broadcast on Morocco’s Medi1 which is known to raise eyebrows by virtue of the guests’ breathtaking, shocking experiences shared with Moroccan viewers.
Moroccan engineer Bouchra Bibano is also among the most influential Arab women. In addition to being an successful ICT engineer, Bouchra Bibano came to the spotlight after climbing some of the highest summits in the world. After reaching the summit of Kilimanjaro, last January Bouchra climbed the Aconcagua summit in Argentina, the highest mountain in the Western and Southern Hemispheres. Her goal is to be the first Moroccan women to climb the world’s seven highest summits.
Last but not least, brilliant Moroccan researcher Dr. Ismahane Elouafi is our eighth influential Moroccan woman. She was also listed among the 20 most influential women in the Muslim world by the British magazine Muslim Science. Dr. Elouafi is also the director of the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture in Dubai.
Sayidaty’s list of influential Arab women also featured 8 women from the United Arab Emirates and 8 Egyptian women, 6 Tunisian women, 6 Saudi women, 4 Kuwaiti women, 2 Algerian women, as well as 8 other women from Lebanon and Jordan.
Edited by Sahar Kian
