All Hail Our Heroines: In Honour of International Women’s Day, 12 Formidable Females Reveal Their #HarpersHeroines

Harper’s Bazaar Arabia sought out trailblazing women to uncover who they admire the most. Here are their pick of inspiring, uplifting and mentoring role-models

Mamta Nihalani

Founder of Apothecary by Mamta

“Sania Mirza is a true inspiration in my eyes. I have been fortunate to have had the opportunity to grow close to her in the last few years, so I see first-hand why so many women and men look up to this powerhouse.

Besides displaying her natural tennis talent, what Sania has done for India and young women around the globe is nothing short of incredible. Never afraid to speak her mind and stand her ground, this icon is someone who is a true force to be reckoned with, on and off the court. An ace tennis player who has in many ways put India on the map, she is also a brilliant mother who manages to participate in world-class tournaments with utmost grace, while being present for her son at all times without a single complaint.

As I’ve got to know her on a personal level, I’ve realised what a true star she is. Sania’s confidence, strength and resilience reach beyond the sport. She has influenced a generation of Indians and South Asian girls to pursue their dreams and realise that they can also be the best they can be.”

Mina Liccione

Comedian, performing artist and co-founder of Dubomedy

“Lucille Ball has been a massive inspiration to this funny girl! I remember watching reruns of the iconic I Love Lucy show as a little girl with my parents and attempting to re-enact all of the slapstick scenes afterwards. She was the first woman I ever saw on TV that made the world laugh with her physical comedy and animated facial expressions and did it all with grace, style and ease! I thought, ‘I want to do that!’ Though she’s mostly known for her role in the classic sitcom (co-starring her real-life husband Desi Arnez), she was also a boss lady. In 1962, she became the first woman to ever run a Hollywood studio. Desilu Productions was no joke, they produced shows like Star Trek and Mission Impossible. I always felt a connection to her. We’re both from upstate New York, moved to Manhattan as teenagers to pursue our dreams, married artists from very different cultural backgrounds then worked as a comedy couple, co-founded trailblazing companies and proudly spread laughter with our loud voices and curly heads! She paved the way for generations to follow and I’ve done my best to push that forward for female comedians in the Middle East.”

Annabel Kantaria

Author

“In terms of feeling motivated or influenced by someone, or having a real-life heroine, I would pick Isobel Abulhoul (OBE), the CEO and Trustee of the Emirates Literature Foundation. She is so inspirational. She’s an unstoppable powerhouse. She’s one of those indomitable women who sees what needs to be done or what she wants to achieve, and then she makes it happen. I admire her energy, her courage and her vision.”

Zahra Abdallah

Food entrepreneur and cookbook author

“When it comes to someone who is outside my realm, Oprah. Her journey is inspiring. She started with nothing and has achieved so much. If she can do it, anyone can.

From a very personal point of view, however, I have to nominate Helen Al Uzaizi. She’s a friend of mine who helped me pick up the pieces at my lowest point, post-cancer. She reminded me to dream and to fulfill those dreams and I have been on that journey since. She has built a business, gotten awards, participated in an Ironman… She achieved a lot and I wanted to know how she did it. I needed help to get out of my space and to believe in myself. She guided me, and taught me to be accountable to myself. She showed me how to set targets and goals. She even ran my 10k run with me. Helen made me believe in myself again. We often want things in life but aren’t clear about what we want. I learnt about defining my dreams so I had something concrete to strive for. My success is thanks to Helen’s help.”

Lucy Bruce

Co-founder of Home Grown Children’s Eco Nursery and founder of Harmony House

“I have been blessed with so many strong, compassionate, accomplished and philanthropic women in my life, all of who have helped to shape me and become the woman I am today. My heroine is my 90 year-old grandmother who has been a huge influence in my life since I was a child. The love she has given me and her entire family has always been unconditional, abundant and tender. Growing up, my grandmother was a constant source of security for me, especially during turbulent times. No matter what disappointments I presented her with, she always listened, understood and empathised, never judging or scolding. Her life has not been easy, but she always oozes cheer and positivity and demonstrates gratitude daily. Today she lives alone and remains completely self-sufficient despite her physical challenges. She remains the heart and soul of our family and my true inspiration.”

Zeina Abdalla

Angel investor, entrepreneur and children’s author

“A few years ago I read an article on Nadia Nadim and was blown away. I loved her story and what she made of herself considering what she went through from a young age. The courage, determination and passion she has is so inspiring and it made me realise that anyone can do anything they want if they put their mind to it.

Nadia Nadim was born in Afghanistan. Her father was murdered by the Taliban when she was 11 and her family fled to Denmark on the back of a truck. Today, Nadia is a professional football player representing the Danish national team 98 times, and is a physician. She speaks 11 languages fluently and is on the Forbes list of Most Powerful Women in International Sports. She truly is a role model to girls all around the world and my inspiration. I think she typifies this quote by Edmond Mbiaka: “The struggles, challenges, and obstacles that it takes to succeed in life are what makes success more valuable. Nothing great comes easy, and nothing easy can ever equate to greatness.”

Leila Al Marashi

Founder & CEO of CADO Gifting

“I met Gwen De Bizemont, who owned Gulf Gifts, in late 2020, and she was such a breath of fresh air. She recently liquidated her gifting business for corporate clients, and I was just thinking about targeting that market. I didn’t have a clue how to go about it. She was so generous with her time and energy, she coached me, guided me through the process, helped me elevate my brand and my company’s value as well.

I will never forget what she said: ‘I would like to gift you my database and company to take on and have CADO Gifting as our successor, as I am so grateful to this country for all the opportunities it gave me’.

Who does that in this day? With all the competition, hustling, and everyone wanting to get ahead? She was truly a God-send to us.

I never had the chance to properly thank her, and I am so pleased to do this finally through this article.”

Zainab Kufaishi

Investment leader, Head of Middle East and Africa

“Throughout the years, I have had the privilege to have had incredible mentors and friends that have been part of my tribe. These women have supported me and injected me with confidence and some ‘real talk’ every time I needed it. I have looked up to many global trailblazers but as an Arab woman, I have always deeply admired Dr Nawal El Saadawi, an Egyptian physician and psychiatrist, world-famous novelist and feminist activist who passed away last year at the age of 89. Dr Nawal was a pioneer and decades ahead of her time, growing up in a conservative patriarchal society but never afraid to speak her truth and always unapologetic about living life on her own terms. She tackled controversial issues around Arab women’s identity and called out inhumane practices likes FGM, as well as being a vocal participant in the Egyptian revolution. Dr Nawal paved the way for bravery, individualism and her deeply influential work advanced Arab feminism. I look forward to seeing more Nawals in future generations from this region.”

Saima Khan

Co-founder and Director of Cheeky Monkeys and Citizen Cosmetics

“My ‘shero’ is my mum who grew up in a very conservative religious family. For a few years she tried to raise her children the exact same way; but as time progressed she quickly realised the ‘old book’ needed to be rewritten and she proceeded to rewrite it herself! She self-educated herself on matters of finance, politics and business. Every day she would state to us the importance of purpose and led her life in that exact manner. She constantly opened our home and her finances to the betterment of other peoples’ lives. Not only did she disrupt all her programmed beliefs but allowed me to challenge each and every one of them and reach my own conclusion. She raised us in several continents with the highest amount of cultural and religious tolerance. She instilled in me the best mantra – “Don’t try to fit in when you were born to stand out.”

Fitri Hay

Thoroughbread horse owner and breeder

“When I was growing up in Indonesia, we had a religious teacher who used to come to the house to teach us. She was so humble yet modern; she taught me to see the beauty in my religion. She taught me how important it is to be generous and to share – those life lessons, so intrinsic to Islam, have stayed with me. She always told me that if you give a lot of love, you will receive it back. I’ll never forget her. At the time, I probably didn’t appreciate the knowledge she was arming me with. The strength that she was giving me. It was only when I was thinking about this story, that I realised the impact she had on me.

A public figure who also made an impression on me was Jackie Kennedy Onassis. She showed us that you can be eternally elegant yet strong. She had a lot of enemies but never crumbled in public. She did not live an easy life, yet despite all her hardships, she seemed to rise above it all.”

Dina Amin

Head of Marketing, Middle East, Turkey & Africa at Google Cloud

“I’ve found inspiration in a lot of women, starting with my mother, who overcame many barriers to become a doctor in Iraq before moving to London. She taught me perseverance, patience and kindness through her ongoing desire to help and heal and I’m so proud to be her daughter. One of my favourite sayings is, ‘Habits won’t change with the head alone, you have to engage the heart as well.’ My coach Carol is a constant source of inspiration and through working with her I have learnt more about leading with the heart. I hope to lead from a more authentic and empathetic place. Many young women think leadership just comes naturally but every successful leader has at least one coach and I think this is especially important for women in STEM. At work, I’m fortunate that the Google CMO Lorraine Twohill still maintains an active role in the business. Lorraine joined Google in 2003 and has been instrumental in building the brand up to what it is today. I find everything she does very inspiring.”

Sharis Shir

Lifestyle curator and designer of Sharis & Diba

“A woman whose story has forever inspired me is Empress Joséphine – French Emperor Napoléon’s beloved crowned wife. A true 19th century style icon, famous for her impeccable taste, and her entertaining abilities and hosting skills – she is even more known for her help in legitimising her husband’s role. A famous tastemaker in her time, her aesthetic choices had a far reaching impact on the arts and styles of the Empire. I have always been fascinated by her tales, her love letters, her strength and their enduring affection – it is a love story for the ages.

She was the ultimate femme fatale and commander. When she separated from Napoléon, he lost his inspiration, his power, and ultimately his empire. Every strong woman inspires another – and she inspires me.”

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From Harper’s Bazaar Arabia’s March 2022 issue.