Zainab Salbi Read by Philomena Kwao

Rebel Girls

Stories For Kids, Education For Kids, Kids & Family

4.5 • 7.2K Ratings

🗓️ 19 May 2026

⏱️ 20 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In this episode we meet Zainab Salbi. Raised under the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein by parents who were trapped among his inner circle, Zainab Salbi grew up knowing fear, war, and the pain caused by corrupt and powerful people. In response, at a young age, she committed herself to building a better world—especially for women. After moving to the United States, at age 23, Zainab founded Women for Women, an international organization that, since 1993, has provided financial support, job training, and other services to 500,000 women survivors of war. [This episode originally aired March 2021.] Go to knixteen.com and use code REBELGIRLS for 15% off. About the Narrator Philomena Kwao grew up incredibly curious and highly focused on her education. She dreamt of becoming a health policy maker or global health agency which led her to get her masters in International Health management. Moving to NYC and ultimately signing with JAG in July 2013, made her grow as a person in many ways. She knows that she wants to do EVERYTHING in fashion and use it as a launching pad to work with healthcare in developing countries, especially Ghana. Credits This podcast is a production of Rebel Girls, Inc. It’s based on the book series Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls. This episode was produced, sound designed, and mixed by Camille Stennis, written by Alexis Stratton and proofread by Ariana Rosas. Original theme music was composed and performed by Elettra Bargiacchi . Special thanks to the whole Rebel Girls team who make this podcast possible. For more, visit rebelgirls.com. Until next time, stay rebel!

Transcript

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0:00.0	Once upon a time, there was a girl who would help thousands of women find their voices and tell their stories.
0:10.0	Her name is Zainab.
0:14.0	Born in 1969, Zainab grew up in a two-story home nestled within a grove of eucalyptus trees in Baghdad, Iraq.
0:23.6	The scent of eucalyptus wafted through the air, and when it rained,
0:28.6	Zainab and her brothers would splash around, while her father made paper boats for them.
0:38.3	Zainab's father Basil was a pilot and her mother Alia was a biology teacher.
0:47.3	Alia sometimes told Zanab's stories of the difficulties women faced around the world.
0:53.3	One day, when Zainab was still quite young, Alia pulled her aside.
1:01.9	You must be independent, Alia said fiercely.
1:05.9	You must be strong.
1:09.1	You must not let anybody hurt you or talk to you in the wrong way.
1:13.6	Zeynab stared into her mother's large brown eyes and nodded.
1:19.6	She wanted to be strong like her mother and help other women be strong too.
1:25.6	She could not know it then.
1:29.3	But the challenges Zainab would face in her own life would one day lead her to do just that.
1:36.3	I'm Filamina Kwau, and this is Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls, a fairy tale podcast about the rebel woman who inspire us.
1:58.8	This week, Zaynab Saabby, an Iraqi women's rights activist, writer and public speaker.
2:10.6	When Zainab was 10 years old, she came home one evening to find her mother waiting anxiously at the door.
2:18.3	Where have you been? Alia asked, hurrying Zainab inside.
2:24.3	Iraq had invaded its neighbor Iran and as of that afternoon, their country was at war.
2:32.3	Zainab and her family hid from air raids as bombs shook the ground and
2:37.5	toppled buildings around them. Neighbors sent their sons, fathers and husbands off to fight,
	...

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