This New E-Book Features Words of Wisdom from Hend Sabri, Karen Wazen, and More Regional Women

Courtesy of Facebook

The spotlight is on and Facebook is shining it towards the successful female creators of our region.

Media is a space for self-expression and who better than Facebook to highlight the achievements of women dominating this space in their empowerment of millions. This International Women’s Day (March 8), the tech giant published an e-book featuring 26 women from across the media and entertainment industries in the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa. From creative influencers to CEOs, these women have changed the game in the media industry and are paving the path for all leading ladies to follow in their footsteps.

The e-book stems from Facebook’s #SheCreates event held in December, as part of its continuous effort to commend the meaningful connections made on its platform and family of apps. The booklet showcases the personal and professional journeys of the 26 women as they discuss what it means to have power in today’s society, and the inspiration behind their content creation. Among the women featured is actor, lawyer, producer, and former Vogue Arabia cover star Hend Sabri. She advises future generations of women to own whatever makes them unique, no matter the circumstance. “Some days you will wake up feeling that maybe it is easier to be normal, it is easier to be invisible,” Sabri says. “This might be momentarily true… because what no one told us is that success is way more terrifying than failure. Your truth will keep hunting you, so honor it, flaunt it. And remember that none of us were born to be yet another version of someone else.”

Hend Sabri: “I believe that waking up in the morning and doing very small concrete steps that are reachable and measurable towards what your soul aspires to, is much more important than big dreams and big ambitions that will make your goal seem too big or too far.”

Joelle Mardinian: “Be careful what you wish for ― someone else’s life may appear glitzier than yours, but that doesn’t mean that they’re happier than you are. The truth is that you know what makes you happy, so follow your heart.”

Haifa Beseisso: “Don’t be scared of your own light, the world needs it.”

Karen Wazen: “One day or day one... you decide.”

Leila Hadioui: “Life is like a boomerang. Everything we project with intensity, both good and bad, always ends up coming back to us even stronger.”

Shahd Al Jumaily: “You will never know what you don’t want until you try it.”

Dr. Rouba Mhaissen: “Set the right intention, believe that life is beautiful in its details, do the work every day, and be ready to be surprised!”

Rania Ayman: “Both opportunities and challenges come from doors we never expect; always be ready.”

Rania Atef: “Don't limit your challenges, challenge your limits.”

Peykan Nebioğlu: “The more it takes to dream, the less it takes to realize. Dream, to the smallest element.”

Nour Emam: “Nothing is more liberating than seeing people liberated through education.”

Mona El Kheshen: “Some of the greatest waves of change often begin with the tiniest of ripples. Start small, think BIG.”

Nadia Gamal El Din: “Be your own hero, never let anyone tell you that you cannot do something, because you absolutely can!”

Nahla Abdelnasser: “Enjoy the ride at your own pace, you are not in a competition with anyone.”

Ilgın Özdemir Yazgan: “I believe that you will be successful sooner or later if you have a business that you started with passion and treated it like it’s your baby.”

Hind Laidi: “Self-giving is our duty of conscience.”

Aïda Benchemsi: “Never ever ever ever ever give up.”

Anna Roberts: "This too shall pass."

Chef Leyla Fathallah: “Love yourself, dream big, aim for the sky.”

Gözde Benzet: “The regret of never trying is greater than the damage of trying.”

Nermeen Salam: “To get something you never had, you must do something you never did.”

Alia Al Kasimi: "Vision and passion are necessary, but not enough. Hard work is a must for a vision to become a reality, and passion for your life."

Nour Ali Shoukry: “I'm not competing with anyone, I hope we can all make it to our best selves.”

Zeinab El Ashry: “No one understands how a woman feels except another woman, so let’s stick with each other and be stronger together.”

Salam Dakkak: “Stay true to yourself, being your most authentic self is a key to success.”

1

Words of wisdom and female empowerment, like those of Sabri, enrich the colorful pages of the #SheCreates e-book. A page-turner for every woman of perseverance, this booklet is fuel for the future of women in media.

“Every day is a day to celebrate and elevate women,” says Derya Matras, Facebook’s regional director for Africa, the Middle East, and Turkey. In honoring its progressive nature, Facebook goes beyond the limits of International Women’s Day to emphasize the importance of celebrating female innovation every day. Its #SheCreates movement will continue throughout 2021, dedicating an exclusive Facebook group with events and content tailor-made for inspiring women and powering the future of female creation.

Read Next: HE Ahood Al Zaabi: Why Re-Assessing Women’s Role in Society is More Urgent Than Ever