The Quiet Disruptors

In Honor of Emirati Women’s Day

Naila
Naila
Aug 28, 2017 · 6 min read

Once again, Emirati Women’s Day — celebrating the women of the United Arab Emirates — arrives with a flurry of achievements behind it.

There are the leaders and chairpersons of internationally-known organizations. There are the pilots, the lawyers, the NASA-worthy scientists.

On this day, these are usually the women in the spotlight, and for good reason. They’ve worked hard, and accomplished great things in a world where there are millions like them still fighting for basic rights. It would be easy to assume that they are exceptional.

Easy, but foolish.

Because the truth is there are Emirati women all over the country who are creatives, business women, CEOs, entrepreneurs, athletes, scientists, doctors, and more.

They are in the limelight only occasionally — many have yet to have made it to wider notice — yet they are all just as important. Because they showcase what Emirati women are all about: doing their own thing with dedication, pride, determination and fearlessness, just as the ministers and governors and chairpersons do.

These are the quiet disruptors, rippling changes out into their communities one by one.

For Emirati Women’s Day, I sat down with two such women, learning more about their passions and what it means to them to be Emirati.

Amna Almarri

Photo courtesy: Amna Almarri

Amna Almarri is the cofounder of AnaGowRunning — a Dubai-based, ladies-only fitness community — and founder of The Healthy Blog, which promotes healthier versions of unhealthy meals.

Her mission? Spreading and promoting health and fitness, “and anything that serves it,” across the country.

Amna’s own journey began “like any other individual who wanted to start a healthy life.” She got hooked on fitness after starting kickboxing classes, and began exploring anything that was “intimidating” like Crossfit, Parkour, and calisthenics.

AnaGowRunning

Later, she began adding running to her fitness routine. In late 2014, she and a group of women began training together for the Dubai Women’s Run at the Dubai Ladies Club.

Once the event was over, she and her three AnaGowRunning cofounders — along with a few others — realized that they enjoyed training together, and that they did not want to lose that community.

The four, Amna, Abeer Al Khaja, Maryam AlMazrouei, and Salha Albasti, decided to combine their individual expertise in different sports — fitness, yoga, crossfit, and boxing — to create training programs using elements of each for their fellow DLC members.

Thus AnaGowRunning was formed, with great success.

“It [the community] has grown so much,” says Amna.

“Our main thing is that it is completely private. There are some ladies-only groups that run in public places, but the privacy is the main thing,” she later adds, explaining one of the many reasons behind AnaGow’s popularity.

The program has added a session exclusively for women training in marathons. “Our members have been winning,” she says proudly. “It has been amazing.”

AnaGow has already expanded into Sharjah, Fujairah, and Abu Dhabi, but their ultimate goal is to implement AnaGow in every emirate in the country.

The Healthy Blog

The Healthy Blog origin story is also linked to her own health journey. As Amna learned more about being healthy, she started cooking her own meals and trying to eat clean. She would share her food on the social media platform Snapchat, and people would ask how the meals were made.

This gave Amna the idea for the blog, launched early this year.

“My food isn’t something different,” she states. “It’s [just] simple, it’s healthy, and it is yummy at the same time. I just want to remove the idea that healthy food is boring.”

Amna intends to continue growing AnaGow and The Healthy Blog, but remains open to other initiatives she could take on that helps her core mission of promoting health and fitness across the UAE.

She credits some of the support she has received to being Emirati.

“Because I’m Emirati and starting all of these things, I get more support because they don’t see such things started up with Emirati women, like AnaGowRunning, [or] The Healthy Blog.

“[Being Emirati] is something I am grateful for because Emirati women are given everything they could ever have. Whatever they want to initiate, help is in front of them, support is in front of them.”

Jameela Ahli

By day, Jameela Ahli is Project Manager at Dubai Tourism. Outside of work, however, Jameela is an explorer, photographer, equestrienne, and chess player and coach at the Dubai Chess Club.

One of her biggest passions is visiting little-known, unfamiliar locations, trying to capture them through her photography.

“What inspires me in photography is not really photography itself, but it’s the places that I visit,” she says.

“When I go on road trips and I find amazing places and amazing landscapes in the UAE and hidden gems, I am inspired by them and I try to frame the beauty I’m seeing in a picture.”

Photo courtesy: Jameela Ahli

Jameela first started photography 13 years ago, in 2004. So far, her photos have earned her over 11 thousand followers on Instagram, but that isn’t why she does it. It is her creative outlet, a passion triggered when she and her nephew went to take night photos years ago.

“When I saw that night photography is not really easy — it’s one of the most challenging types of photography — that’s what made me MORE interested in it,” she explains, leaning forward with a shine in her eyes.

“I saw the beauty in night photography, where my eyes could see that this place is beautiful, but it’s too dark. But using a camera, it shows you that night could be more colorful and lively than day.”

Given her love for chess, it is no wonder that Jameela likes to puzzle things out and take on a challenge; that is what she fell in love with about photography and what kept her coming back.

Photo courtesy: Jameela Ahli

Jameela’s varied interests, photography, and love of challenge is emblematic of Emirati women’s spirit: filled with boundless energy, creativity, and determination. Exactly the spirit that drives them to new heights with each passing year.

“Being an Emirati woman for me is a privilege, especially in a time where women all around the world are fighting for equality. Women in the UAE are very much respected, and it is something that I appreciate a lot.

“And I’m very proud of the men of the UAE and how they respect us women, and they encourage us and empower us on a daily basis,” she adds, joking that UAE men are so supportive that she feels “sometimes they’re the ones who need to fight for equality!”

“Being a woman in the UAE is just… really great,” she finishes, laughing.

So here’s to the creatives, the athletes, the scientists and doctors and chairwomen and entrepreneurs. Here’s to more support, more achievements, and more change. To a nation shaped by its women just as much as it is by its men, and the vibrant future created because of it.

Happy Emirati Women’s Day.

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Naila

Written by

Naila

Crippling self-awareness combined with a dash of dry wit. Basically, your average writer.

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