Yousra Samir Imran

Yousra Samir Imran is a British Egyptian writer and author who is based Yorkshire. She is the author of Hijab and Red Lipstick, being published by Hashtag Press in the UK in October 2020

Follow her on Twitter: @UNDERYOURABAYA

Ten must-read books to celebrate Women in Translation Month

Book Club: August is 'Women in Translation Month', where readers make a conscious effort to read translated works written by women and contribute to a global exchange of literature. The New Arab picks ten revolutionary texts to mark the occasion.

24 August, 2022

Fat-shaming for Arab women, body positivity for the West

Yousra Samir Imran argues that The Economist’s article on Arab women and obesity is another example of Western hypocrisy when it comes to the standards it holds for Arab women compared to European women.

19 August, 2022

Dana Al-Otaibi and the culture of victim blaming

As hundreds on social media celebrated the news of the murder of American-Saudi YouTuber Dana Al-Otaibi, Yousra Samir Imran argues that this behaviour feeds into a wider culture of victim-blaming based on women’s life choices, and it must end.

11 August, 2022

For gender justice in Arab countries, abolish colonial laws!

With the continued wave of femicide in the MENA, Yousra Samir Imran argues that legislative changes are urgently needed in the region, especially the abolition of colonial laws that fail targets of gendered violence and criminalise homosexuality.

01 August, 2022

Egyptian women fear the growing normalisation of femicide

A series of horrific cases of femicide and grievous bodily harm against women in Egypt in the last two months have caused outrage across the region.

19 July, 2022

Challenging Tunisian society’s homophobia through theatre

Pride Month: LGBTQI+ NGO Mawjoudin speaks to The New Arab about how it uses art to raise awareness and confront homophobia in the North African country today.

30 June, 2022

Head Above Water: When illness exiles the mind from the body

Book Club: Assistant professor, academic, and writer Dr Shahd Alshammari talks to The New Arab about her new book, an illness narrative reflecting on living with multiple sclerosis in Kuwait.

18 May, 2022

The New Arab Meets: Conceptual artist, Fatima Al Qadiri

Kuwait-born musician Fatimi Al Qadari has extended the parameters of electronic music by drawing inspiration from the tradition of Islamic folklore. With her new album Medieval Femme out now, we sat down with her to discuss her latest project.

10 December, 2021

Lift Like A Girl: An Egyptian tale of female empowerment?

Film Review: Netflix's latest Arab offering chronicles the journey of Zebiba, a budding weightlifter from Alexandria, on her pursuit to reach the Olympic Games. Tackling poignant themes, the documentary reveals shifting gender perceptions in Egypt.

03 September, 2021

Cut from the Same Cloth? Personal essays by Muslim women

Book Club: Sabeena Akhtar's Cut from the Same Cloth? is a collection of 20 personal essays written by Muslim women in Britain from different walks of life, on the topics that matter to them.

28 July, 2021