Zainab Al-Eqawi
Zainab Al-Eqabi | |
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زينب العقابي | |
| Born | August 19, 1990 |
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Zainab Al-Eqabi (Arabic: زينب العقابي; born 19 August 1990) is an Iraqi pharmacist, para-athlete and television presenter based in the United Arab Emirates. An above-the-leg amputee, she is an advocate for the rights of disabled people, particularly those living in the Middle East.
Personal life
Al-Eqabi was born and raised in Baghdad. In June 1997, she was severely wounded after an undetonated bomb dating back to the Gulf War exploded in her family's garden.[1] Al-Eqabi sustained injuries to her hand and leg, the latter of which was later amputated after it became infected with gangrene; her father lost a hand as a result of the explosion, while her sister lost a finger.[1][2] Al-Eqabi and her family subsequently emigrated to the United Arab Emirates in 2001, and she went on to graduate from the University of Sharjah with a degree in pharmacy in 2013.[1][3] In 2017, Al-Eqabi completed postgraduate studies in International Social Work at Durham University in the United Kingdom.[3]
Al-Eqabi currently lives in Dubai.[4]
Career
Al-Eqabi first received media attention after established a Facebook group entitled "Disabled and Proud" in response to what she felt was a stigma against disabled people throughout the Middle East.[2] In 2011, Al-Eqabi was advised to take up swimming to alleviate back pain she was experiencing due to her prosthetic leg.[3] As an athlete, she has completed two triathlons in the United Arab Emirates and received press attention when she trained to become a scuba diver in 2016.[1] She subsequently received further public recognition when she completed the 2020 Dubai Fitness Challenge, which included hauling a Jeep.[3][2]
Al-Eqabi has over a million followers on Instagram and 600,000 subscribers on YouTube.[4]
Al-Eqabi is a brand ambassador for the prosthetics manufacturer Ottobock. She was the first woman from the Middle East to serve in such a role.[2]
Al-Eqabi became the first amputee television host in the Middle East after appearing on the MBC1 show Yalla Banat.[2] The show discusses issues facing young people in the Middle East and North Africa and how these can be resolved.[3]
Recognition
In July 2021, Al-Eqabi, alongside fellow amputees Dareen Barbar and Rania Hammad, were featured on the cover of Vogue Arabia.[2]
In 2021, Al-Eqabi was named as a regional face of The Body Shop's Global Self-Love Movement campaign.[4]
Al-Eqabi featured in Nike's 2020 Victory Swim marketing campaign, alongside Maha Al-Ameri and Manal Rostom.[5]
References
- ^ a b c d "Meet Zainab, the scuba diver with one leg". gulfnews.com. 8 September 2016. Retrieved 2021-07-13.
- ^ a b c d e f "Meet the Arab Women of Determination Giving a Deeper Meaning to Body Positivity". Vogue Arabia. 2021-07-06. Retrieved 2021-07-13.
- ^ a b c d e D'Souza, Alba (30 November 2020). "Breaking Barriers: Zainab Al-Eqabi". Sun & Sand Sports. Retrieved 2021-07-13.
- ^ a b c Bains, Devinder (17 March 2021). "UAE-based para-athlete and motivational speaker Zainab Al-Eqabi on self-love, positivity, and acceptance". Harper's Bazaar Arabia. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
- ^ O'Brien, Kyle (30 October 2020). "Nike Celebrates Inspiring Spirit of Middle Eastern Women". Retrieved 2021-07-13.