Zainab Salbi
Zainab Salbi
Zainab Salbiis an author, women's rights activist, humanitarian, social entrepreneur, and media commentator who is the founder and former CEOof Washington-based Women for Women International...
NationalityIraqi
ProfessionActivist
CountryIraq
Zainab Salbi quotes about
violence target injustice
The injustice is that women continue to be the main target of violence both during wartime and peacetime and yet there is still a lack of a public outrage.
country growing-up everyday
Growing up under Saddam's rule, I witnessed many injustices occurring everyday in my country and yet I could not do anything to prevent them.
losing-a-loved-one people historical
I learned that victims come in all image - some raped, some witnessing an act of violence, some losing loved ones. I learned that the solutions come by both listening to the people impacted by the crisis and by learning from historical experiences in other places.
views different-experiences diversity
It is the diversity of views that stems from different experiences and different backgrounds that lead to healthy decision-making and not the unified experiences and unified views.
chiefs
Women have never been a chief negotiator in any UN-sponsored talks.
levels peace-talks percent
Only 8 percent of peace talks have included women at any level.
country war order
Working with women survivors of war has taught me that we need to listen to women's perspectives on war in order to understand how to effectively rebuild a country, a community and a family.
decision levels planning
It appears easier to talk about protecting women than it is to fully include women at all decision-making levels in peace talks and post-conflict planning.
skills faces violence
From joblessness to lack of education and professional skills to sexual and gender-based violence, women face a multi-faceted oppression.
perspective world income
From an economic perspective, women are treated unfairly: they perform 66 percent of the world's work and produce 50 percent of the food but they only earn 10 percent of the income and own 1 percent of the property.
created holding
I don't want to be someone in my sixties holding on to a group that I created when I was in my twenties.
astounding decided injustices people ridiculed women
I couldn't find anyone doing something about the astounding injustices women were experiencing, so I decided to do something myself. I cannot tell you how many people ridiculed my efforts.
accepting external given ourselves power realities start structures time women
By accepting what the external structures have told us we need to do, we have given the power of our realities and ourselves to others. It is time to tell a new story for women, and that can only start with women.
argue came gone realise taught women
In my 20s I was such a serious, boring-looking person. I would never do my nails. I never even danced. But I was taught by the women. They had gone through hell, but they would dance and sing. I came to realise I can't argue for a happy world if I am not happy myself.