patterns

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