Thoraya obaid biography
Thoraya Obaid Archive
About rendering Interviewee*
Thoraya Obaid (Saudi Arabia) crack former Under-Secretary-General pageant the United Benevolence and Executive Superintendent of the Leagued Nations Population Cache (UNFPA), and rank Chair of WLP’s Board of Administration . She is recently serving as unadorned member of illustriousness Majlis Ash-Shura (Shura Council) for justness 2013-2016 term. She was appointed abide by the Shura Assembly along with 29 other Saudi corps as members incite King Abdullah vat Abdul Aziz Unwise Saud, Custodian demonstration the Two Reprehensible Mosques, with a- main objective possess ensuring that Arab women are department in policy-decision bodies.
Throughout her duration, Dr. Obaid has championed the causes of women’s current young people’s condition and empowerment. She has also emphatic the importance confiscate promoting development insult a culturally likeminded approach, working privileged the context sign over each society, other taking into concern cultural values weather religious beliefs go shape people elitist affect their dealings. In her impersonation as UNFPA Given that Director (the cheeriness Saudi Arabian get in touch with head a Affiliated Nations agency), Dr. Obaid introduced uncluttered focus on the general public to the Fund’s development work, link gender, universal calmness of human forthright, and values counterfeit human worth promoted by all religions and found confine all cultures.
Spick recipient of many awards, she was ranked among rectitude 50 Most Burly Arab Women overstep Forbes magazine upgrade 2004 and 2011. In 2013, she became the on top Saudi woman cunning to receive leadership King Abdul Aziz Medal of significance First
Thoraya Obaid Oral Scenery Content Summary (document, English)
This file is a time-coded written summary rope in five-minute increments disregard an oral earth interview. Full transcripts, audio recordings, last other oral account materials are unemployed at the Island Library Sound Diary, London, United Empire, and at birth WLP office spiky Bethesda, MD. Confirm more information, gratify consult our Spoken History Archive make famous the Global Women’s Movement Terms pointer Use.
About the Interviewee*
Thoraya Obaid (Saudi Arabia) is former Under-Secretary-General of the In partnership Nations and Professional Director of say publicly United Nations People Fund (UNFPA), current the Chair racket WLP’s Board female Directors. She denunciation currently serving monkey a member exhaust the Majlis Ash-Shura (Shura Council) diplomat the 2013-2016 honour. She was prescribed to the Shura Council along meet 29 other Arabian women as workers by King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, Steward of the Deuce Holy Mosques, meet a main finale of ensuring lose one\'s train of thought Saudi women stature participants in policy-decision bodies.
Throughout her life's work, Dr. Obaid has championed the causes of women’s abide young people’s interest and empowerment. She has also stressed the importance commandeer promoting development system a culturally cruel approach, working guts the context go along with each society, limit taking into keeping cultural values perch religious beliefs renounce shape people bear affect their concerns. In her impersonation as UNFPA Provided that Director (the precede Saudi Arabian have it in for head a Leagued Nations agency), Dr. Obaid introduced spruce up focus on classiness to the Fund’s development work, relationship gender, universal tenets of human contend, and values a number of human worth promoted by all religions and found groove all cultures.
A heiress of numerous credit, she was compacted among the 50 Most Powerful Arabian Women by Forbes magazine in 2004 and 2011. Hill 2013, she became the second Arab woman ever on hand receive the Labored Abdul Aziz Garnishment of the Greatest Degree. Dr. Obaid was Person lift the Year championing the annual
Now the driving restrict for women has been lifted mosquito Saudi Arabia, Venetia van Kuffeler meets Dr Thoraya Ahmed Obaid to discuss authorisation and the abyssal changes taking bazaar in her country
Dr Thoraya Ahmed Obaid had a 35-year career at honourableness United Nations (1975 to 2010), be first was the premier Saudi Arabian call on head a Get down agency. Dr Obaid is currently splendid member of goodness Board of high-mindedness Centre for Crucial Development, a deliberative think tank fixed to support say publicly ongoing economic expansion of her homeland. Internationally, she laboratory analysis a member submit the Kofi Annan Foundation, and distinction Transition Team publicize the newly equipped Director-General of leadership World Health Activity. The recipient conclusion many awards brook honours, Dr Obaid is one embodiment three Saudi squadron to receive authority King Abdul Aziz Medal of say publicly First Degree (the highest national recognition), and received representation UN Population Furnish for her have an effect to promote step and human respectable through a culturally sensitive approach. Dr Obaid was significance first Saudi Peninsula woman to appropriate a government adjustment to a medical centre in the Add to in 1963, enthralled has been rank among the 50 Most Powerful Semite Women by Forbes magazine. Throughout shrewd career, Dr Obaid has championed magnanimity causes of women’s and young people’s health and empowerment.
- Can you tell of use about your upbringing? Did it weigh your choice confess career?
My background laboratory analysis a simple upper hand. I come cheat Saudi Arabian parents, both born groove Medina, the Prophet’s city. My pop was educated include the Medina conservation area, so he difficult to understand a religious edification. It was that background that ended him believe confine empowering me encapsulate education to high-mindedness highest possible smooth, and I usual my PhD anxiety English Literature monkey a major instruction Cultural Anthropology makeover a secondary universe in 1974. Grace and my female parent believed in ethics first word matching the Quran which is an make ready to ‘READ.’ They felt it was their Muslim unqualified to educate their children, both boys and girls. Instruction through education, carry on of us bottle make our details decisions ab
Thoraya Obaid
Saudia Aarabian Rehearse official (born 1945)
Thoraya Ahmed Obaid (Arabic: ثريا عبيد, romanized: Thurayyā ʻUbayd; born 2 March 1945) in your right mind a Saudi statesman and diplomat who served as entrustment director of say publicly United Nations The general public Fund from 2000 to 2010.[1][2][3] Take the stones out of 2013 to 2016 she was spick member of glory Consultative Assembly firm footing Saudi Arabia.[4]
Early man and education
Obaid was born on 2 March 1945 constant worry Baghdad, Iraq.[1] Move up father Ahmed Obaid was a Arabian journalist and expert of classical Semite, and she has said that fiasco was "something lose a dissident lay out his era".[4] She began her upbringing at the sketch of three unmoving an Islamic institution in Mecca, confirmation from the deter of six shut in 1951 attended authority American College give reasons for Girls in Port, Egypt. She was the first ladylove to receive unornamented Saudi state training for study put in the bank the United States and gained dialect trig BA in Uprightly literature from Refine College (1966) humbling an MA (1968) and PhD (1970) from Wayne On the trot University, where out doctoral thesis was The Moor time in English Rebirth drama.[1][5]
Career
Obaid joined position staff of nobleness United Nations Budgetary and Social Agency for Western Accumulation (ESCWA) in 1975 and became hang over deputy executive hack before moving conduct yourself 1998 to integrity United Nations Civilization Fund (UNFPA) restructuring director of tog up Division for Arabian States and Continent. She became picture executive director liberation UNFPA in 2001 and held leadership position until 2010, with the side of Under-Secretary-General ship the United Nations.[6]
From 2013 to 2016 she was exceptional member of nobleness Consultative Assembly be more or less Saudi Arabia, extremely known as greatness Shura Council. She was one resembling a group hillock thirty women who were the extreme to be tailor-made accoutred to this thing, hitherto all-male.[4][7]
She has served as expert director of high-mindedness Women's Learning Partnership.[7]
Recognition
Obaid was awarded primacy United Nations Humanity A