Celebrating Fierceness: Arab Women in STEM

In 2019, the International Women’s Day saw the start of an Emirati-based platform initiated to celebrate Arab women in STEM.

The 8th of March marks the day the world celebrates women. This year, the day bustled with stories from the past and aspirations for the future enabled by a newly- launched platform called “Arab women in STEM”.  Arab Women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) is an initiative found by Ahlam Al Qasim, Aisha Al Mannaei, and Hind Al Noori. All three co-founders are Emirati women conducting research in astrophysics. They realized that obstacles face women in STEM on every level, from education to career limitations, to even just underrepresentation. The idea of this initiative sparked, they said, from the desire to change that in the Arab world.

Having experienced the hurdles of a male-dominated field first-hand through their journey, the founders aim to pave the way for younger girls to pursue STEM careers. The platform shares stories to encourage, empower, and inspire. It proves, by celebrating success stories from Arab women thriving all around the world, that the journey in STEM is not just struggles.

Exchanging stories and experiences with girls and women through this platform truly gives a sense of unity that is almost familial. A common understanding of educational, cultural, and societal obstacles lines the interactions between successful women and those who look up to them. This happens to be another goal of the initiative, as stated by the founders, “Youth can reach out to female figures in STEM and draw courage and inspiration from them.” Seeing women succeed in fields of medicine, engineering, cosmology, and others is not intimidating nor demeaning, especially in the community-like setting of the platform. It sets an example of how #FierceArabWomen deserve to be respected and celebrated, not feared or disdained.

What struck me as particularly interesting is how inclusive this initiative is.  It could perhaps be a gesture that went unnoticed amid all the larger-than-life achievements featured, but in their first tweet, the team mentioned that they would like to hear from girls who “simply love doing STEM for fun.” This little segment broadened community to include the writers and the artists, to show that every effort is thoroughly appreciated. Considering today’s culture, the arts have an undeniable role in inspiring the younger generation to pursue careers. I was partially inspired to join a STEM field by an apocalyptic visual novel.

When asked what the future looks like, the founders answered with realistic goals and grander aspirations that extend far beyond International Women’s Day celebrations. One of these goals is a mentorship program to enable girls in schools and early undergraduate studies to connect with Arab role models in the fields they are interested in. “Once we have built our community in due time,” they stated, “our hope is to be the first initiative to host yearly conferences celebrating Arab women in STEM.” The founders also aim to expand this platform into an annual event where women can present their research and findings in a formal academic setting that would enable them to publish their work in scientific journals. Meanwhile, it would still maintain its inclusiveness by allowing the events to be accessible to the public.

The support that the UAE has given us as women to excel in STEM fields is unquestionable. This initiative, however, feeds in as a crucial pillar of community support. From the earlier stages, it sparks the ambition in girls to take the larger-scale opportunities provided by the country. I think I speak on behalf of all Arab women in STEM when I say that I truly look forward to watching this platform grow to celebrate the doctors, the scientists, and the engineers not only in the UAE, but across the entire Arab region.