Muslim women in hijab are incredibly courageous — Fatma Naib
The voice of an untold story of girls, the woman behind raising a noble cause to help the young girls in manner of raising her voice through a well-known news channel. The New York Festivals Award-winning Eritrean-Swedish freelance journalist; Yes she is none other than Fatma Naib, Al Jazeera Ex-Correspondent who became the voice of thousand innocents; whom went under the process of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) without any logical reason and scientific benefit. So here you ‘ll find what Fatma naib has shared with us; about her life, point of views, etc.
Question: Tell us a little about yourself, your background and your motivations?
Fatma Naib: I am a journalist. Until recently I was with Al Jazeera English in Doha, Qatar. Now I am a freelance journalist based in Stockholm, Sweden. I am 40 years old and I come originally from Massawa, Eritrea in East Africa. I came to Sweden when I was 11 years old. I have 4 siblings, one older brother and two younger sisters. I have a 4-year-old daughter named Noor. I met her dad online during the Egyptian revolution while I was doing research. We met in Cairo in 2011, and within a year we were married. I spent part of my childhood in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. I remember how I used to pretend that I was the editor-in-chief for a Saudi magazine titled Al Sharq al Awsat. My favorite column there was one that used to be called ´Don’t read this news’ and it was always news of crime and death which I found rather fascinating as an 8-year-old. The dream to become a journalist stayed with me until high school where I was introduced to psychology and decided to further my education within that field. So, I studied psychology at Goldsmiths University in London. But after I completed my education a few years later I was given the opportunity to work in media and decided then to go back to my initial love and embark on my journey that led me to where I am today. Part of the reason why I wanted to work in media is my sense of social justice and wanting to fight injustices. Media has and will always be a powerful tool that can help raise awareness around a topic, but also spread misinformation which could lead to further misconceptions. It is a career which comes with great responsibilities.
Growing up in Sweden in the early 90s the media was full of misconceptions which led to the further stigmatization of young Muslim girls like me. And we did not have any positive representation. As a minority one of my idols was journalist Alexandra Pascalidou. She was the only face that many minorities could identify with. She empowered many young girls with minority background and continues to do it today.
Representation matter and having the right voices telling your stories is key.
Question: What are your key duties in your home?
Fatma Naib: As a working mom, the work life balance is an unrealistic myth. I have a good support network, but it’s not always easy. We tend to put pressure on ourselves and society does too. You feel like you are not doing enough at work and you try to overcompensate to avoid getting looked over for opportunities at work.
At home, you feel like you are not doing enough for your family. As a journalist, you are always switched on, you check your email and social media accounts anytime during the day and night.
In Doha, I was the main breadwinner and my husband was the one that took on more of the responsibility for our daughter at home.
Now in Sweden I feel like I am finally catching up with life and my daughter who is growing up too fast.
I share the responsibilities at home equally with my spouse, but I like and prefer my own cooking so I tend to cook and he helps me occasionally. We share the parental role of raising our daughter. He is the playful daddy and I am the disciplinary mom. It works for us, but I always have the nagging feeling that I am not doing enough to catch up with the picture-perfect Instagram families.
Question: What was your dream job as a kid and why?
Fatma Naib: I had many ‘dream jobs’ that had nothing in common. I wanted to become a Ballerina dancer, a judge, an author but the one job besides journalism that I really wanted to do was teaching.
I believe it was due to the great female teachers I had in middle school growing up. From the age of 7 to 11 I went to a girls-only school which had female staff.
During that time my teachers were my role models and I wanted to be just like them. I still look up to that profession which I think is one of the most underpaid and unappreciated professions which when done right can shape a child’s future and choices in life.
Journalism and teaching were always the top contenders in my dream career choices.
Question: Do you think that we can change the ratio of women in the media industry and how?
Fatma Naib: I think we have many women journalists but what we are lacking is enough women in the decision-making positions.
We need more women leadership at the Executive Director level and above. I don’t have the magic formula but I think the existing female leaders should mentor, encourage and empower those still trying to make it.
We should create a career support network, where we can create a safe environment for women and other minorities who face the same limitations in career options due to who they are.
Question: What do you think is the most significant barrier to female leadership?
Fatma Naib: People in significant powerful positions who lack leadership qualities are often the key culprits. It is not always the case but during my career I witnessed this too frequently.
Also, we ourselves are to blame at times. We tend to question and doubt ourselves and the ability to lead and manage.
We need to overcome our psychological barriers first in order to face the barriers put in place by managers who lack leadership skills and fail to recognize our abilities.
Question: What is the scope of women in this industry especially in your country?
Fatma Naib: In my country of origin Eritrea there is total gender equality in the media — neither men nor women are allowed to practice independent journalism. The country is at the very bottom in international rankings of media freedom.There are many successful female journalists outside the country.
In Sweden things are different. It’s a feminist country so there is representation of women in the industry at all levels.
But there are still not enough women in the most powerful decision-making positions in the media sector here.
Gender inequality in the industry became clear for the society to see as the #MeToo campaign allowed more women to speak up. Many women in the media came forward revealing a culture of discrimination and sexual harassment by men in powerful positions which led the women to be silenced in fear of losing their jobs.
So now more than ever we need to have more women leaders in powerful positions and we need to promote the culture of sisterhood which fosters freedom to speak up and support one another.
Question: What is the best and worst decision you’ve ever made? What woman inspires you and why?
Fatma Naib: The best decision I ever made was to have my daughter, she is the legacy I will leave behind. She is the drive that keeps me going. And I hope I can help leave behind a better world than the current one where she can be whoever she wants to be. That is on a personal level.
On a professional level the best decision was to take a leap of faith when I pitched to make the Correspondent film about FGM for Al Jazeera English. I challenged myself and put myself in a very uncomfortable position by appearing in front of the camera. As a digital journalist and producer, I am more comfortable behind the screen.
There is no single worst decision I can think of, however, there are a series of behaviors that I regret. I regret not challenging myself more when I was younger. If I could turn back time I would do more, dare more, fail more, then get up and learn.
Instead of naming the inspirational women whom I have looked up to in my life, I will say this. To the women that get up every day and manage to look after their families, themselves, work, deal with pressure from the society, the misogyny and injustice: I salute you!
To the women of color who are pushing and striving despite the structural racism that exists in the business world: I salute you!
To the hijabi Muslim women who have to face a world which claims to be on their side but puts blame and threats towards them and they still manage to stand tall with their heads high: I salute you!
And the list is endless. Women that choose their own paths inspire me because they don’t do what society wants them to do and they do what is right in their heart with the true intentions.
Question: What will be the biggest challenge for the generation of women behind you?
Fatma Naib: The biggest challenges for Muslim women are going to be to remain focused and try to excel in the face of growing hatred of Muslim women, women in general and minorities especially.
One would hope that with the accessibility of information and social media it would be easier to spread knowledge accurately. But this easy access to technology is a double-edged tool that can be abused and spread misconception and inaccuracy. As technology advances, so will the challenges and the greater need to constantly stay alert and prepared.
So look back in history and see how the previous generations dealt with hatred and bigotry. The cycle of hatred is not new, it comes every few decades, but it changes the way it manifests itself. So find the courage and knowledge to beat it and continue to strive as strong women.
Question: What would you like to advise Muslim women in business?
Fatma Naib: Keep working hard and stay strong. It is a tough world for women in general, but in the current climate of Islamophobia it’s tougher than ever to be a Muslim woman. But don’t let that stop you from excelling in the fields you choose. Stay focused.
Key to empowerment is education. Get it and spread it, and don’t leave any women behind.
As Muslim women, we need to support each other and stand united in the face of bigotry and discrimination. Muslim women in hijab are incredibly courageous because they are the ones that are always at the receiving end of hatred and discrimination due to their visibility. Know your rights in the countries you are in, arm yourself with knowledge and widen your social network and promote women of all faiths and race in an inclusive culture. These are the values our religion teaches us and we have so much to give.
For every door that shuts in your face trust that another window and door will open. Look for allies and let’s watch each other’s backs as Muslim women and women in general. We must leave a positive legacy for the next generation of strong Muslim women. In the prophet’s time PBUH we had Khadija, an entrepreneur in a male-dominated society, and today more than ever we need future Khadijas. And remember to always pay it forward! And leave no women behind!
