Interview: Arab women are “the strongest” amid war, oppression and global stereotypes - Elissa Freiha

Speaking with Ismail Akwei on the Global South Conversation, Freiha reflected on the trauma many Lebanese people continue to carry years after the 2020 Beirut port explosion and amid renewed violence in the region.

“I think my heart keeps breaking more and more for this country. You think this can be the worst thing ever after the explosion, for example, in 2020. And that was the biggest peacetime explosion that has ever happened in the world,” she said.

She described the frustration many Lebanese feel over what she called negligence by political leaders and the absence of institutions capable of protecting civilians.

“Politicians are doing nothing about it, and no accountability and complete negligence. And now what you have is active oppression, like active violence happening from an oppressor who wants to take over the land. And we don’t have anyone who’s protecting us. There’s no official body that’s there to protect the Lebanese,” said the founder of the region's leading feminist storytelling platform, Womena. 

Building Womena through storytelling

Freiha is dedicated to amplifying women’s voices across the Middle East through Womena and her podcast “Sage Takes Time,” where conversations range from sexuality and psychology to environmental justice and identity.

According to her, the podcast’s success comes from presenting Arab women authentically rather than through stereotypes often portrayed globally.

“If I can showcase Arab women the way they really are, I don’t need to manufacture anything. People will connect with that. They’ll see the beauty, the wonder, the strength and the resilience that comes from Arab women,” she said, adding that Arab women themselves are the source of hope that inspires her work.

“Arab women are the ones who give all of us hope because they’re the most resilient. They are the strongest. They have had to endure, and they thrive regardless.”

Breaking taboos around sexuality

“Sex in the Middle East is very haram. You do have to address it in creative ways,” Freiha said, noting that some women featured on the podcast helped pioneer public conversations around sexual health in Arabic-speaking societies nearly a decade ago, even struggling to create accessible language for such discussions.

“The Arabic language struggles to find a middle place between talking about sex with very vulgar terms and very academic terms. We need to name them before we can start dismantling all the shame,” she explained.

Freiha stressed that the issue is not unique to Arab societies, arguing that women globally face barriers around sexual awareness and education.

Feminism is human rights and not "anti-men”

Freiha rejected portrayals of feminism as anti-men, describing it instead as a movement rooted in equality and human rights.

“Human rights is feminism. Patriarchy is a system. It doesn’t have a gender,” she said, arguing that both men and women suffer under patriarchal systems that impose harmful expectations and unequal access to opportunities.

“People are pretending like these are men versus women, but we all suffer under patriarchy. Feminism advocates for equality for everyone,” she added.

Challenging stereotypes about Arab women

Freiha challenged common stereotypes about Arab women, saying Western perceptions often fail to capture the diversity and complexity of women across the region.

“When I say Arab woman, there is an image that’s in your mind. Most people, the image that is in their mind is wrong,” she said.

She described Arab women as diverse in religion, appearance, identity and lifestyle, while urging audiences to move beyond simplistic narratives.

“They are just as complicated as you. So get to know your local Arab woman,” she said. 

Watch the full interview attached to this story.