Shaimaa Sami Zaki

Shaimaa Sami Zaki is a journalist, researcher, and woman human rights defender from Egypt. Due to her human rights work and activism, she was arrested for a year and four months, and was forcibly disappeared for 10 days. Despite being imprisoned, including a period of solitary confinement and assault, she resumed her work as soon as she was released. She is a firm believer in the importance of defending human rights, especially in times of security peaks and dictatorship. She obtained a fellowship from the IFA Institute for Human Rights Defenders and spent a year in Germany.

She founded "Madad initiative" which focuses on women minorities in Egypt, migrants, and refugees. In addition, she continues to publish articles and conduct research on issues relating to rights and freedoms.