Our Women on the Ground

Essays by Arab Women Reporting from the Arab World

By: Zahra Hankir, Christiane Amanpour

Narrated by: Soneela Nankani

Length: 10 hrs and 51 mins

Publisher's Summary

Nineteen Arab women journalists speak out about what it’s like to report on their changing homelands in this first-of-its-kind essay collection, with a foreword by CNN chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour

"A stirring, provocative and well-made new anthology...that rewrites the hoary rules of the foreign correspondent playbook, deactivating the old clichés.” (Dwight Garner, The New York Times)

A growing number of intrepid Arab and Middle Eastern sahafiyat - female journalists - are working tirelessly to shape nuanced narratives about their changing homelands, often risking their lives on the front lines of war. From sexual harassment on the streets of Cairo to the difficulty of traveling without a male relative in Yemen, their challenges are unique - as are their advantages, such as being able to speak candidly with other women at a Syrian medical clinic or with men on Whatsapp who will go on to become ISIS fighters, rebels, or pro-regime soldiers. 

In Our Women on the Ground, 19 of these women tell us, in their own words, about what it’s like to report on conflicts that (quite literally) hit close to home. Their daring and heartfelt stories, told here for the first time, shatter stereotypes about the region’s women and provide an urgently needed perspective on a part of the world that is frequently misunderstood.

INCLUDING ESSAYS BY: Donna Abu-Nasr, Aida Alami, Hannah Allam, Jane Arraf, Lina Attalah, Nada Bakri, Shamael Elnoor, Zaina Erhaim, Asmaa al-Ghoul, Hind Hassan, Eman Helal, Zeina Karam, Roula Khalaf, Nour Malas, Hwaida Saad, Amira Al-Sharif, Heba Shibani, Lina Sinjab, and Natacha Yazbeck

©2019 Zahra Hankir (P)2019 Penguin Audio

Critic Reviews

“Remarkable [and] illuminating.... Readers will be moved as each essay reflects both its writer and the people whose stories she reported to the world.” (Booklist (starred review)

“[A] timely and affecting collection. The essays contain evocative and emotional imagery; the stories shared by these women are heartrending and deeply humanistic.... [Our Women on the Ground] will appeal greatly to readers interested in global women’s issues, journalism, and the modern Arab world.” (Library Journal (starred review)

“Offering a blend of memoir, war reporting, cultural commentary, history, and politics, these powerful essays deliver insightful analysis of the upheavals in the Middle East from committed and skilled writers.” (Publishers Weekly)

The least told stories of bravery and resilience

This book takes the perspectives rarely told about the Middle East recent history of conflicts from courageous women who took risks and overcame untold hardships to tell the truth. It is a must read for anyone who covers the region.