Focusing on the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries, the book is aimed at children and concentrates on twelve female figures who devoted their lives to politics, literature, law and education. Its creation was supported by the German Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung. While the English version is published in hard copy under the title "Brave and Bold", the Arabic version is currently available online free of charge.
"There's always this misconception that feminism is alien to the region; that it's a Western idea that's trying to 'invade' our traditions and morals. People forget that many changes which happened in the region are due to Arab feminists who pushed for girls to be allowed to go to school or for adult women to be able to vote and work outside the home. These laws were not promoted by men, but by women who came together and tried to achieve change through government or activism." - Samantha Elia, project manager based in Beirut.
The book's illustrations were done by Aya Mobaydeen, based in Amman. Each of the women's portraits is surrounded by flowers and objects that have defined their careers, from pens to urns to scales of justice.
Photo: illustration by Aya Mobaydeen of Raufa Hassan Al-Sharki, the first Yemeni journalist.