Resource Persons' Profiles
Life Story Story |
Country countrycountry |
Name |
Age |
Education |
Marital Status |
Occupation and Work History |
1 |
Bangladesh |
Rafia | 35 | Master's degree | Married | College teacher and journalist |
2 |
Bangladesh |
Ranu | 55 | None | Married |
Domestic worker |
3 |
Bangladesh |
Ruba | 45 | Primary education | Married | Worked in a Chinese restaurant and now runs a catering business |
4 |
Bangladesh |
Sultana | 45+ | None | Divorced/ Single |
Domestic worker and worked in rice fields |
5 |
Bangladesh |
Simi | 35 |
Bachelor's degree from a university overseas |
Divorced/ Single |
Entrepreneur and runs a family business |
6 | Canada | Naeema | 59 | Master's degree | Divorced/ Single |
Works in the public sector |
7 | Canada | Samina | 48 | Master's degree | Divorced/ Single |
Runs a centre for disabled children |
8 | Canada | Safia | 50 | Studying for PhD | Divorced/ Single |
Graduated in geology; studying for PhD |
9 | Canada | Amina | 50 | Master's degree | Divorced/ Single |
Full-time teacher |
10 | Canada | Lila | 45 |
Doctorate |
Divorced/ Single |
Community work and teacher |
11 | Canada | Kulsum | 45 | Doctorate | Married |
Community work, teacher and writer |
12 | Canada | Noreen | 50 |
BA and Teacher’s degree |
Married |
Operates her own business |
13 | Egypt | Amina | 74 | PhD | Married | Psychoanalyst and international human rights activist |
14 | Egypt | Nadia | 45 | University Degree | Divorced/ Single | Worked in the service and tourism industry; event organizer in Dubai; ran business selling cars and now runs a taxi business. |
15 | Egypt | Sara | 27 | University Degree | Single | English instructor and currently works in a women’s rights NGO |
16 | Gambia | Natoma | 45 | Primary education at Arabic school | Married | Farmer and local and regional women’s political leader; runs the adult literacy programmes and is involved in advocacy work against the practice of FGM |
17 | Gambia | Fama | 50 | Primary and secondary education at Arabic school | Married | Farmer, petty trader, businesswoman, female community leader and regional representative of GAMCOTRAP and NAWFA |
18 | Gambia | Maimuna | 51 | Completed nursing school | Widow | Midwife, first female Alkalo (village head) elected in the First Republic, is currently a retired farmer and does community work |
19 | Gambia | Penda | 52 | None | Widow | Farmer in rice fields and female local leader involved in advocacy work against the practice of FGM |
20 | Gambia | Anta | 57 | General Nursing certificate | Widow | Midwife, councillor in the local government structure |
21 | Gambia | Sally | 73 (passed away in 2015) | Graduated from Yundum College | Divorced | Head teacher, first female candidate elected to Parliament in the First Republic, public relations officer at the National Women’s Bureau |
22 | Gambia | Adu | 59 | Graduated from the School of Public Health | Married | Worked in the public sector, journalist, politician, human rights activist and founder of an NGO |
23 | Gambia | Kumba | 37 | Graduated from the Gambia Technical Training Institute | Divorced | Worked in the public sector, in banking, in shipping agencies and now runs her own business and campaigns against the practice of FGM in her community |
24 | Gambia | Yama | 78 | Attended Qur’anic classes until the age of 10 | Widow | Farmer, held the position of Alkalo (village head) and helped raise awareness about the harm of FGM; now retired |
25 | Gambia | Mariam | 76 | None | Widow | Political figure, national councillor at the Women’s Bureau and led a major campaign to end the practice of FGM |
26 | Gambia | Binta | 57 | Graduated from Indiana University (USA) | Married | Worked for several UN agencies, the US embassy, Amnesty International, and opened a school to fight against child abuse |
27 | Gambia | Kaddy | 32 | Graduated from the Gambia Technical Training Institute | Married | Former circumciser, petty trader, but now active in campaigning against the practice of FGM and works with an NGO |
28 | Gambia | Hawa | 36 | None | Divorced | Petty trader |
29 | Indonesia | Sinta | 41 | Formal education through first grade at Islamic junior high school plus informal religious education | Divorced | Religious teacher and leader, former chairperson of Fatayat NU for the district office, and now runs an Islamic boarding school (pesantren) for girls |
30 | Indonesia | Nisrina | 36 | Elementary school | Divorced | Babysitter, petty trader, farmer, migrant domestic worker in Saudi Arabia and currently unemployed |
31 | Indonesia | Nurul | 43 | High school | Divorced | Farmer, weaver and is involved with an NGO |
32 | Indonesia | Murti | 58 | Junior high school | Married | Held the position of village chief for seven years and is now chairperson of a peasant group, while being active in an NGO |
33 | Indonesia | Asih | 43 | Graduated from college | Divorced | Working as an education and training staff member at an NGO |
34 | Indonesia | Shafira | 42 | Senior high school | Divorced | Kindergarten teacher |
35 | Indonesia | Nawa | 27 | Senior high school | Widow | Involved with various organizations that advocate for HIV prevention to end AIDS and is now project assistant at an NGO |
36 | Indonesia | Amalia | 33 | Islamic boarding school | Divorced | Domestic worker |
37 | Indonesia | Nadira | 57 | Junior high school | Divorced | Knitter, assistant to wedding organizer, cashier in a billiard house, petty trader and now works with an Indonesian government agency |
38 | Iran | Elham | 34 | BA in French translation and a year of graphic design | Divorced | Teacher, travel |
39 | Iran | Zahra | 31 | Graduated from medical school | Ongoing Divorce | Pursuing studies in the United States when the story was documented, then the interviewer lost contact with her |
40 | Iran | Nasibah | 18 | Some courses in an informal education centre | Single | Still studying while seeking a job when her story was documented |
41 | Malaysia | Nadia | 32 | BA | Married | Writer and editor |
42 | Malaysia | Mimi | 70 | English secondary education up to Form Five | Divorced | Worked in the Education Department and is currently involved in helping single mothers |
43 | Malaysia | Mawar | 40 | Secondary education up to Form Five | Married | Worked in a factor, farmer (watermelons and rice) and is now a rubber tapper |
44 | Malaysia | Wati | 34 | Secondary education up to Form Five in a religious school | Married | Clerk in a factory |
45 | Malaysia | Lola | 36 | Bachelor's degree | Married | Journalist |
46 | Nigeria | Salamatu | 16 | Enrolled into both religious and formal schools for a couple of months | Divorced | Petty trader (kuli-kuli) and babysitter; went back to her village and the team lost contact with her |
47 | Nigeria | Hauwa Balarabe | 50 | Primary education | Married | Child labour, exploitative work environments and is now a migrant domestic worker |
48 | Nigeria | Rashida | 35 | Secondary education | Divorced | Returned to school to pursue her education, was volunteering with community work and now has a full time paid job |
49 | Nigeria | Murja | 35 | Enrolled into secondary school after her divorce | Married | Pursuing her education and wants to go to the Federal College of Education in Yola |
50 | Nigeria | Safiya | 41 | None | Married | Child labourer, petty trader, domestic worker, small-scale trader |
51 | Nigeria | Zainab | 40 | None | Married | Child labourer, salesgirl, petty trader and tailor |
52 | United Kingdom | Rafeeqa | 46 | Employment-related professional development courses | Married | Currently working in a women's refuge |
53 | United Kingdom | Nijat | 32 | Graduated in both health and education studies | Single | Worked in a call centre and is now a sales manager |
54 | United Kingdom | Sumera | 55 | Employment-related professional development courses | Married | Currently working as a civil servant |
55 | United Kingdom | Shadiya | 38 | Postgraduate Diploma in Community Leadership and Volunteer Sector Management | Married | Independent community educator |