At the age of sixteen, she did not imagine that volunteering in student activities and local community initiatives would open the door for her in the future to join the She Leads program, implemented by the Arab Renaissance for Democracy and Development (ARDD) in cooperation with Terre des Homs, with the aim of activating the participation of girls and young women in the decision-making process and increasing their representation in formal and informal institutions in the Arab world.
Against this background began the story of Menna Nabil, a young woman from Egypt who went on to become an active participant in the She Leads program. "The program enhanced my personal and professional skills and was a strong motivation for me to participate in many other programs, such as the New Generation, the Arab Council for Social Sciences Fellowship Program," says Menna.
"I had lots of support from my family, which helped me to form a leadership personality capable of making decisions, and I became more open and able to manage my own affairs," she added. As for her participation in the program's activities, Menna pointed out that "this opportunity made a big difference for her on a personal level and provided her with rich knowledge and experience."
Regarding the initiatives she took part in, she said: "In the beginning, I used to join volunteer activities, specifically in the fields of business administration, mental health, and community volunteering, then I participated in a leadership program for girls specialized in community entrepreneurship in cooperation with the Science Land Organization, as well as the Mufida Abdul Rahman Moot Court program, which is a moot court to train law students on the concepts of equity between men and women."
As for the challenges facing women leaders in societies, Menna saw that "the main problem lies in limiting girls and women to certain societal stereotypes, as well as the lack of openness by parents to issues that affect their future," advising girls in this context "to go through as many life experiences as possible, and to acquire extensive experience about people and society. In the end, pleasure favors the adventurous, while the coward is left with remorse."
Nabil concluded her speech by stressing the need for policymakers and decision-makers to realize the importance of civil, political, and economic participation for women in general, and to expand opportunities for them, which reflects primarily on societies, as well as on economic development, in addition to the need to pay attention to their local needs and to prepare training and rehabilitation programs to educate and train them as an essential element in leadership and building society.
The "She Leads" program aims to support fair representation between men and women to participate more in decision-making processes, through capacity building activities that focus on increasing girls' and women's access to education and skills development, promoting women's economic empowerment and engaging them in the political process, in addition to building advocacy skills, meaningful interaction, and raising awareness, through a collaborative and inclusive approach at the regional and international levels.
