Princess Sarah Zeid (born Sarah Antonia Butler on 1 August 1972) is a Jordanian-American humanitarian and maternal and newborn health activist. Through her marriage to
Prince Zeid bin Ra'ad al-Hussein, she is a Jordanian princess and a member of the
House of Hashem. Her husband is the heir apparent to the
pretender of the abolished
throne of Iraq.
Early life and education
Princess Sarah was born as Sarah Antonia Butler on 1 August 1972 in
Houston, Texas
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...
to Dr. Godfrey Phillip Butler, a British
petroleum geologist
A petroleum geologist is an earth scientist who works in the field of petroleum geology, which involves all aspects of oil discovery and production. Petroleum geologists are usually linked to the actual discovery of oil and the identification of po ...
and consultant to international oil companies, and Jean Hamilton Butler.
She was educated at
Hurtwood House in
Surrey
Surrey () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant urban areas which form part of the Greater London Built-up Area. ...
, England. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in international relations from the
University of St. Thomas St. Thomas University or University of St. Thomas may refer to:
*Saint Thomas Aquinas University, Colombia
*Saint Thomas Aquinas University of the North, Tucumán province, Argentina
*St. Thomas University (Canada), Fredericton, New Brunswick
*St. ...
and a master's degree in development studies from the
University of London
The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degree ...
's
School of Oriental and African Studies
SOAS University of London (; the School of Oriental and African Studies) 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 ar ...
.
Career
Princess Sarah is a global health advocate whose work focuses on maternal and newborn health. She has worked in the
United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations
The Department of Peace Operations (DPO) (French: ''Département des opérations de maintien de la paix'') is a department of the United Nations charged with the planning, preparation, management and direction of UN peacekeeping operations. Pre ...
and served as the Desk Officer for Iraq in the Office Emergency Programmes at
UNICEF
UNICEF (), originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing Humanitarianism, humanitarian and Devel ...
.
She has been a contributor to
Peace TV
Peace TV is a non-profit Emirati satellite television, satellite television network that broadcasts free-to-air programming. It is one of the world's largest religious satellite television networks. On 21 January 2006, Zakir Naik created the net ...
. She is a
steering committee member of the Every Newborn Action Plan and partners with
PATH
A path is a route for physical travel – see Trail.
Path or PATH may also refer to:
Physical paths of different types
* Bicycle path
* Bridle path, used by people on horseback
* Course (navigation), the intended path of a vehicle
* Desire p ...
to promote the recommendations made by the
. She is a patron for the
White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood and an advisory board member for the Women's Rights Division at
Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch (HRW) is an international non-governmental organization, headquartered in New York City, that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. The group pressures governments, policy makers, companies, and individual human r ...
.
Princess Sarah is the founder and co-chair, along with
Kate Gilmore, of Every Woman Every Child EveryWhere
which, as the EWEC Strategy and Global Goals are implemented, focuses on the prioritization of and innovation for reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health in humanitarian and fragile settings. She is a board member of the
Women's Refugee Commission and a member of the
UNHCR
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is a United Nations agency mandated to aid and protect refugees, forcibly displaced communities, and stateless people, and to assist in their voluntary repatriation, local integrati ...
Advisory Group on Gender, Forced Displacement and Protection.
In September 2013 she gave a speech at the Every Woman Every Child reception at the
UN General Assembly
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA or GA; french: link=no, Assemblée générale, AG) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN), serving as the main deliberative, policymaking, and representative organ of the UN. Curr ...
, highlighting the work of
Colalife.
Princess Sarah participated in a panel discussion hosted by the
United Nations Foundation
The United Nations Foundation is a charitable organization headquartered in Washington, DC, that supports the United Nations and its activities. It was established in 1998 with a $1 billion gift to the United Nations by philanthropist Ted Turner, ...
and
McCann McCann may refer to:
* McCann (surname)
* McCann (company), advertising agency
* McCann Worldgroup, network of marketing and advertising agencies
* Marist College athletic facilities
** McCann Arena
** James J. McCann Baseball Field
* McCann Rescu ...
at the 2015 Lions Health Festival in
Cannes
Cannes ( , , ; oc, Canas) is a city located on the French Riviera. It is a communes of France, commune located in the Alpes-Maritimes departments of France, department, and host city of the annual Cannes Film Festival, Midem, and Cannes Lions I ...
. She also visited hospitals in
Nadi
Nadi (pronounced ) is the third-largest conurbation in Fiji. It is located on the western side of the main island of Viti Levu, and had a population of 42,284 at the most recent census, in 2007. A 2012 estimate showed that the population had ...
and
Lautoka
Lautoka () is the second largest Local government in Fiji, city in Fiji. It is on the west coast of the island of Viti Levu, in the Ba Province of the Western Division, Fiji, Western Division. Lying in the heart of Fiji's sugar cane-growing r ...
while on a trip to
Fiji
Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists ...
on behalf of EWEC. During her tour of Fiji she addressed the Pacific Technical Experts and Ministerial Consultation on Strengthening Climate Change through Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health at the
Sofitel Resort and Spa in Nadi. In October 2015 she promoted the adoption of the 2030 Global Goals, a sustainable development agenda by the United Nations.
In October 2016 Princess Sarah visited the Kigali Genocide Memorial as a
Goodwill ambassador of the
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is a United Nations agency mandated to aid and protect refugees, forcibly displaced communities, and stateless people, and to assist in their voluntary repatriation, local integrati ...
to honor the victims of the 1994
Rwandan genocide
The Rwandan genocide occurred between 7 April and 15 July 1994 during the Rwandan Civil War. During this period of around 100 days, members of the Tutsi minority ethnic group, as well as some moderate Hutu and Twa, were killed by armed Hutu ...
against the
Tutsi
The Tutsi (), or Abatutsi (), are an ethnic group of the African Great Lakes region. They are a Bantu-speaking ethnic group and the second largest of three main ethnic groups in Rwanda and Burundi (the other two being the largest Bantu ethnic grou ...
. Afterward she visited the
Burundi
Burundi (, ), officially the Republic of Burundi ( rn, Repuburika y’Uburundi ; Swahili language, Swahili: ''Jamuhuri ya Burundi''; French language, French: ''République du Burundi'' ), is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley at the ...
an refugee camp in
Mahama Mahama is an African given name and surname. People with this name include:
Given name
*Mahama Awal, Cameroonian footballer
*Mahama Ayariga, Ghanaian politician
* Mahama Sawadogo, Burkinabé politician
* Mahama Johnson Traoré, Senegalese film dire ...
,
Kirehe District
Kirehe is a district (''akarere'') in Eastern Province, Rwanda. Its capital is Kirehe town (which is usually known as Rusumo, being the major settlement of the former Rusumo district).
Geography
The district comprises areas in the far south-e ...
and gave a speech. Following her visit she was part of a consultation between the government of Rwanda and the UNHCR regarding the status of Burundian refugees.
In September 2017 Princess Sarah was the keynote speaker at an event hosted by the
Human Rights Council in
Geneva
Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaki ...
focusing on the provision of sexual reproductive health services in conflict and post-conflict situations. She spoke of her role as the lead for the humanitarian work-stream of the Global Strategy for Women's, Children's and Adolescents’ Health and how to empower women and children. In November 2017 she delivered the keynote at ''Nutrition: Cornerstone of Gender Equality'', a conference in
Ottawa
Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...
, Canada on nutrition's role in achieving gender equality. In her keynote speech she acknowledged how the implementation of the Feminist International Assistance Policy has contributed to Canada's position on the national stage regarding women's and girl's rights. During her Canadian visit she also attended a parliamentary gathering hosted by
Pam Damoff
Pamela Damoff (born March 13) is a Canadian Liberal politician, who was elected to represent the riding of Oakville North—Burlington in the House of Commons of Canada in the 2015 federal election.
Personal history
Born in London, Ontario, ...
, organized with Results Canada and
Nutrition International.
On 24 October 2017 Princess Sarah attended
The Center for Reproductive Rights' 25th anniversary celebration in New York City. On 4 December 2017 Princess Sarah did a two-day tour in
Juba,
South Sudan
South Sudan (; din, Paguot Thudän), officially the Republic of South Sudan ( din, Paankɔc Cuëny Thudän), is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia, Sudan, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the C ...
. While in Juba she visited several refugee camps, an orphanage of the NGO ''Children out of Conflict'', and the
Protection of Civilians Site 3, a site for internationally displaced people.
In 2018 Princess Sarah became a program ambassador for
Women Deliver
Women Deliver is a global advocacy organization that works to generate political commitment and financial investment for fulfilling Millennium Development Goal 5, which is improving maternal health. This is a multifactorial approach, involving acce ...
, a global advocacy group. In June 2018 Princess Sarah conducted a three-day visit to
Burundi
Burundi (, ), officially the Republic of Burundi ( rn, Repuburika y’Uburundi ; Swahili language, Swahili: ''Jamuhuri ya Burundi''; French language, French: ''République du Burundi'' ), is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley at the ...
where she met with the
First Lady of Burundi, top government officials, and partners with the
World Food Programme.
Personal life and views
She married U.N. Commissioner on Human Rights
Prince Zeid bin Ra’ad Zeid al-Hussein, a Jordanian prince and claimant to the
throne of Iraq as a descendant of
King Faisal II, on 5 July 2000 in
Amman
Amman (; ar, عَمَّان, ' ; Ammonite language, Ammonite: 𐤓𐤁𐤕 𐤏𐤌𐤍 ''Rabat ʻAmān'') is the capital and largest city of Jordan, and the country's economic, political, and cultural center. With a population of 4,061,150 a ...
.
As a pretender of the Iraqi throne, her husband claims the title of Crown Prince of Iraq. Princess Sarah and Prince Zeid bin Ra’ad Zeid al-Hussein have three children. After the birth of her third child, Princess Azziza, Princess Sarah suffered an
amniotic fluid embolism
An amniotic fluid embolism (AFE) is a very uncommon childbirth (obstetric) emergency in which amniotic fluid enters the blood stream of the mother, triggering a serious reaction, which results in cardiorespiratory (heart and lung) collapse and m ...
. She had little chance of survival, but recovered.
Princess Sarah has stated that her passion for health advocacy comes from her personal experience as a mother.
In May 2014 Princess Sarah spoke in support of a woman's right to an abortion, stating that if women are ostracized for their reproductive health choices then the causes of unwanted pregnancies will not be understood, and that misinformation and lack of resources can relate to unsafe abortions.
She also spoke out against the
Syrian conflict and the health crisis it has caused.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sarah Zeid of Jordan, Princess
Living people
1972 births
American birth control activists
American women's rights activists
American people of British descent
House of Hashim
Iraqi princesses
Jordanian princesses
Princesses by marriage
People educated at Hurtwood House
People from Houston
Alumni of SOAS University of London
University of St. Thomas (Texas) alumni
UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadors
Women humanitarians