15/04/2025
🎙 Why I created the podcast
When Fischer asked me why I launched this podcast series, it brought me back to a defining moment during my MBA. I reflected on all the spaces I had moved through—engineering labs, research conferences, university classrooms—and realized that in each, I had often been one of the few women, one of the few Arabs.
This moment of clarity was not just personal. It became a call to action.
🔎 I decided to investigate the underrepresentation of women in leadership—starting with my MBA thesis at IÉSEG School of Management, and deepening through multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary research involving 40 interviews with inspiring leaders around the world.
I wanted to understand the systemic gaps. But more than that, I wanted to do something about it.
So, together with Dr. Luise Fischer, Dr. Sascha Hein, Dr Pascale PATAT DUBOUIS , PhD and with support from the -German Young Academy of Sciences and Humanities (AGYA) and the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), and in collaboration with Aziza Abbassi and the powerful network of . أمنية, we launched Podcast.
🎧 Through this podcast and a series of masterclasses, we share real stories and actionable insights from diverse voices. We bridge research and lived experience—not only by highlighting personal journeys, but also by sharing key findings and outcomes from our study. These episodes raise awareness of the challenges we identified and spark deeper conversations on the structural changes needed to make leadership more inclusive.
Highlights from the video interview:
🔹 The spark: Realizing I had never encountered the topic of women in leadership—despite 14+ years in academia.
🔹 40 interviews: Insights from global leaders shaped the foundation of this project.
🔹 Research meets purpose: We created Qiyada to move beyond publications—to inspire change.
🔹 Surprising lessons: Sometimes, male allies were more supportive of women than women themselves.
🔹 The mission: Inclusive leadership isn’t just for women—it’s for everyone.
