Zahia Ali

The typical image of a woman defending women's rights is distorted, but I no longer see it as an obstacle, because I believe that real change begins with a first step, regardless of how small or risky.

My name is Zahia Ali, a researcher on human rights issues.

My humanitarian journey began in 1993 when I was just a high school student. I set to work driven by keen enthusiasm and the support of my dear father, as he was the first to believe in my message.

I hid behind an alias while expressing my social opinion because freedom of expression was not a natural right of a woman, but not a reason for me to stop so I paved my own path amidst facing all the obstacles.

In 2011 I realized that a single voice can only impact so much! That's when I decided to establish an organization to defend women’s rights, paving the way for more than a hundred women to exercise their right to vote in the municipal and parliamentary elections while training hundreds of women from various Libyan cities in numerous capacity-building workshops.

I volunteered to help 120 girls from Tawergha who's files were suspended for offences they had not committed. I hustled between institutions and courts, mediating to restore their rights. The only reward i sought was their joy and gratitude.

My path wasn't easy. I risked my life to deliver my message by often traveling to remote areas. As a mother of orphans with great responsibilities, some considered all this volunteer work a luxury that I shouldn't have, But a voice inside me kept telling me that the problems of my fellow women were mine too.

Through my experience, I realized that no matter how much a woman gives, she is never exhausted. She can build and change a society the same way that she succeeds in nurturing her family. That is why I aspire for every woman in Libya to recognize her rights and capabilities. I call on all human rights institutions to pay attention to women’s issues because they are the foundation of society.