Shaima Bin Othman is a Yemeni woman from Hadramawt. She is a human rights defender, especially women’s rights. As a co-founder of Takween Cultural Club and Meemz Arts Initiative, Shaima has been a social activist and volunteer, focusing on the Arts and Culture as a method of advocating for social change since 2016. Shaima is the former CEO of Wa’ai foundation; during her time at Wa’ai, she established the first political forum in Hadramawt /Mukalla. She also participated at the young activist camp in Berlin in 2019 as a young leader from Yemen. She is currently working as a Research Fellow at the Yemen Policy Center (YPC). She has published numerous reports and articles highlighting the role of youth-led initiatives in the peace process. Shaima is a member of the Women Solidarity Network. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Hadramawt University. She was granted a scholarship from the U.S. Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) for the Tomorrow Leaders Program to study her master’s degree in Middle East Study at the American University of Beirut. Shaima’s MA thesis will be revolving around Women Political Participation. 

Participant in: March/April 2022 Fellowship: Peacebuilding and Women’s Meaningful Participation in Peacebuilding Processes