Three Arabs honoured in BBC's '100 inspirational and innovative women' list

The women hailed from Morocco, Iraq and Qatar, and were all much younger than their counterparts on the '100 inspirational and innovative women' list.

Morocco's Chaima Lahsini is a 24-year-old journalist, feminist and human rights activist from Rabat. Lahsini currently works for Morocco World News and was a leading force in protests following the sexual assault of a disabled women on a public bus earlier this year.

Nawaal Akram, a Paralympic athlete and advocate for women with disabilities in the Middle East is from Qatar. The 18-year-old not only runs a successful YouTube channel where she challenges perceptions on the disabled in the region, but also founded the Muscular Dystrophy Qatar non-profit organisation.

Iraqi Zainab Fadhal is based in the UK and was pinpointed for her exceptional grades since leaving her homeland three years earlier with little to no English. The 16-year-old hopes to continue progressing herself and seeks a career in criminal psychology.  

This year's list challenges all 100 women to "tackle four of the biggest problems facing women today - the glass ceiling, female illiteracy, harassment in public spaces and sexism in sport," the BBC said.