Diary of a Feminist: Dr. Amal Al-Malki’s Journey from Academia to Activism

Written By Politics4Her .

“They said, 'You are a savage and dangerous woman.' I am speaking the truth. And the truth is savage and dangerous.”

These words, echoed by Egyptian feminist writer Nawal Al-Saadawi decades ago, struck a deep chord with a young girl growing up in 1980s Qatar. That girl would grow into Dr. Amal Al Malki, today a pioneering scholar, activist, and one of the region’s most powerful voices in Arab and intersectional feminism.

Dr. Al Malki’s journey began in the quiet rebellion of a young Arab girl who dared to imagine and dream. Raised in a conservative society where “girls had very, very limited dreams and limited roles,” her identity, placed her at the crossroads of cultures and expectations. But it also gave her perspective, depth, and early exposure to both English and Arabic feminist literature.

“Growing up within a conservative- setting, in Qatar, in the 80s made me realize that I had no freedom to dream big. My dreams were very limited, and I couldn't really surpass my geographical limitation,” she reflects.

Books became her escape, and her weapon. She began writing about women’s issues in local newspapers under a pseudonym at just fifteen, long before it was acceptable, or even safe, to do so publicly.

Her move to the UK to pursue her postgraduate studies was a turning point. There, she studied postcolonial and feminist theory, she realized she wasn’t alone.

“When I went to the UK and I started studying postcolonialism and feminism, that opened my eyes. I'm not lonely anymore.”

By age 28, she had earned her PhD, becoming the youngest Qatari woman to do so, and returned home, forever reshaping feminist scholarship in Qatar. She went on to found Qatar’s first Women’s Studies program at Hamad Bin Khalifa University, a groundbreaking initiative designed to be accessible to working women and mothers through evening classes. For many women who could not study abroad as she did, this program became a lifeline.

Dr. Al Malki rooted feminism in local culture. She refused to replicate Western feminism or simply translate it, she helped share with the world what Gulf feminism looks like.

“Those programs are embedded within our culture, we don’t teach white feminism. We teach feminism that is relevant to us.”

Her work has been instrumental in countering centuries of Orientalist representation of Arab women, a project she explores deeply in her book, Arab Women in Arab News: Old Stereotypes and New Media.

“The images that they've created about the Oriental woman, Arab-Muslim. They lumped us all, Arabs, non-Arabs, Muslims, non-Muslims together... even though we’re very diverse. They made sure to reduce us to one type, for them to make it easier for them to understand, undermine, and control.” Dr Al-Malki added.

She challenges the Western construct that Arab women are passive or trapped and need saving. On the contrary, historical and regional studies have shown that this dichotomy does not hold up in the MENA region, including the Arabian Gulf societies.

“Studies from the Gulf showed that this kind of dichotomy doesn't apply to us... Women actually worked inside and outside their homes, we were active. So this erasure of women history needed to be exposed”

This misrepresentation in mainstream Western media is what drove her interest in citizen journalism and the potential of social media. Platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram, she notes, have given Arab women a space to claim agency, tell their own stories, and organize, particularly in contexts where civil society is repressed.

“Digital activism... is one of the best things that happened on social media.

But with visibility comes risk. As Dr. Al Malki warns, the intersection of feminism and activism, especially when amplified digitally, makes women targets of harassment, censorship, and cyberattacks. Yet this only strengthens her resolve.

And so, she continues to build platforms that empower and foster feminist storytelling. In her podcast Women of the Middle East, Dr. Al Malki spotlights the voices of Arab women—writers, thinkers, and activists—whose lived experiences defy the clichés imposed on them. Each episode serves as a reminder to listeners that rewriting history begins with reclaiming your voice.

“We have to take a stand. We have to understand and learn and get educated of our rights locally within our governments, but also our rights as women internationally and create a protection system for us because this [digital activism] should not die. And it won't die, but it should not even slow down,” she added. 

Feminism must never be allowed to lose momentum. Not now. Not ever. From classrooms to social platforms, from academic publications to protests, the struggle continues, and it must be loud.

And when knowledge becomes action, it shakes the system. And that’s exactly what makes feminist academics like Dr. Al Malki so powerful and so threatening to the patriarchy.

“Our voices as women have always been silenced, but hey, we're here. We're 50-50. At some point, you need to listen to us, or we’ll keep on pushing the envelope until one day you are forced to listen to us.” 

To learn more about Dr. Amal Al Malki's work, check the links below:

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