Patronus: The Phoenix

Favourite Quote: “If you want to be a human rights defender, don’t do it because you expect results. If you expect results, and don’t get them, you grow tired, you burn out, and you’re more likely to give up. Be a human rights defender because it’s the right thing to do, whether there are results in your lifetime or not. That’s how you’re in it for the long haul.” – My father’s advice to me right before my exile and his imprisonment. 

Maryam Al-Khawaja holds a BA in English Literature and American Studies (the latter being the closest thing you could get to political science in Bahrain which was banned). Previously she was the Acting President of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, the Co-Director of the Gulf Centre for Human Rights, interim Advocacy Director and Europe Director for Physicians for Human Rights. She has also done quite a bit of consulting and trainings (For more information, please see her website). She currently serve on three Boards of Directors: Urgent Action Fund for Feminist Activists, International Service for Human Rights and CIVICUS World Alliance. 

In her spare time she can be found dismantling the patriarchy, working out, writing poetry and short stories, singing like no-ones listening, having discussions about new ideas of how we’ll dismantle the political, social and economic patriarchy. Yes, there’s a pattern. She speaks Arabic, English, Danish, basic Farsi, tiny bit of Spanish and French.