Both authors have occupied spaces where female role models who look like them are seldom found. This only magnified the challenges they faced as they navigated through a system that brought out their strengths but also questioned their confidence at times. It dawned on them that it is a manifestation of something bigger, the lack of stories that represent women from their background and culture, stories that embolden them to action, and stories they can carry and reassure themselves when in self-doubt. The belief that self-confidence starts early encouraged both authors to realise that more children books from their culture need to address issues of self-confidence, empowerment and courage. They hope this story serves as inspiration for the next generation of leaders.

Fatma Al Manji

Omani environment researcher, water scientist, anti-racism activist and travel enthusiast. Fatma Al-Manji has long focused on how she could incorporate her knowledge on water remediation and analytical skills in developing sustainable models to combat climate change in the Middle East. She has published scientific articles in journals related to water management sciences at Wageningen University and research.

Although Fatma comes from a very academic background, her longing for women empowerment has been centre to how she navigates her life. Fatma has been surrounded by intergenerational women figures in her family who motivated her to seek her dreams and aspirations abroad. Having lived in four different multicultural settings, Fatma realised that women empowerment and representation has not been communicated to her during her youth. This caused an urgency to collaborate on a book that will hopefully push doors for the leading generation of youth girls.

Rumaitha Al-Busaidi

Omani scientist, activist, and athlete Rumaitha Al Busaidi empowers Arab women to step into spaces previously denied to them—whether it’s a football field, volcano summit, or the front line of the battle against climate change. Back in May 2021, Rumaitha debuted her TED talk that has garnered over 1.2 million views worldwide where she looks at why women are more likely to be impacted and displaced by climate catastrophes.

Growing up, Rumaitha struggled to fond role models who represented aspirations she had of herself. So she decided to speak up to allow women to dream big choosing radio and social paradigm. Consequently, she founded WomeX; a platform teaching negotiation skills to Arab women in order to nurture a new wave of girl bosses in the region.

Hailing from Muscat, Rumaitha recently co-authored the Youth Recovery Plan as co-chair of the World Economic Forum’s Davos Lab Taskforce, the first intergenerational lab aimed at self-awareness, systems leadership and allyship to help shape the world’s post-COVID recovery. Rumaitha completed her MPA at Harvard, and is coined as the first female soccer analyst in the Arab World and youngest Omani women to step foot on the South Pole.