Rouba Mhaissen (born 1987/1988) is a Syrian-Lebanese economist and activist. She is the founder of Sawa for Development and Aid, a grassroots organization which serves Syrian refugees in Lebanon, and the British-based Sawa Foundation.

Early life and education

Mhaissen was born in

Beirut Beirut ( ; ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, just under half of Lebanon's population, which makes it the List of largest cities in the Levant region by populatio ...

. She has two brothers and a sister, of whom she is ten years younger. Her mother was a Lebanese homemaker, while her father was a

Syrian Syrians () are the majority inhabitants of Syria, indigenous to the Levant, most of whom have Arabic, especially its Levantine and Mesopotamian dialects, as a mother tongue. The cultural and linguistic heritage of the Syrian people is a blend ...

businessman. As a child she frequently visited Syria to see family. She attended the

American University of Beirut The American University of Beirut (AUB; ) is a private, non-sectarian, and independent university chartered in New York with its main campus in Beirut, Lebanon. AUB is governed by a private, autonomous board of trustees and offers programs le ...

, earning a degree in economics, and then the

London School of Economics The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), established in 1895, is a public research university in London, England, and a member institution of the University of London. The school specialises in the social sciences. Founded ...

, where she earned a master's degree in development studies. She was persuaded to study economics by her parents, rather than to pursue her love of theater. She also holds a PhD in gender and development from the

School of Oriental and African Studies The School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS University of London; ) is a public research university in London, England, and a member institution of the federal University of London. Founded in 1916, SOAS is located in the Bloomsbury area ...

at the

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a collegiate university, federal Public university, public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The ...

Activism

In 2006, Mhaissen worked with Palestinian refugees in Lebanon; in later years, she worked with Lebanese refugees in Syria. In December 2011, Mhaissen founded Sawa for Development and Aid. The organization provides support related for basic needs to Syrian refugees in the

Beqaa Valley The Beqaa Valley (, ; Bekaa, Biqâ, Becaa) is a fertile valley in eastern Lebanon and its most important farming region. Industry, especially the country's agricultural industry, also flourishes in Beqaa. The region broadly corresponds to th ...

, such as shelter, blankets, and food. It also organizes workshops to educate refugee women. Mhaissen has promoted grassroots activism over international aid efforts.

Awards and recognition

In 2016, Mhaissen received the Marsh Award for Peacemaking and Peacekeeping from the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office. In 2017 she was named on

Forbes 30 Under 30 ''Forbes'' 30 Under 30 is a set of lists published annually by ''Forbes'' magazine since 2011 consisting of 30 notable people under 30 years old in various industries. The American list consists of 600 people, with 30 selected in each of 20 sect ...

list of the most influential people in Policy and Law. In 2019 she was given the Vital Voices Global Leadership Award, and the Rafto Prize “for defending human rights from the local to the global level for people living as refugees”. In 2021 she was given a DVF Award.

Personal life

Mhaissen is married and has two children.

References

{{Authority control 1980s births Living people 21st-century economists 21st-century Lebanese women 21st-century Lebanese people Alumni of the London School of Economics Alumni of SOAS University of London American University of Beirut alumni Lebanese activists Lebanese economists Lebanese people of Syrian descent Lebanese women activists People from Beirut Syrian economists Syrian people of Lebanese descent Syrian women economists