Business Fortune
The Middle East and Northern Africa have seen a notable increase in female-led businesses and startups in recent times. With one of the highest rates of entrepreneurial initiatives worldwide, according to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor 2022/2023, one in three firms is owned or operated by women, and one in six of these women has expressed a desire to launch a business in the near future.
Owing to the competitive nature of business and the dearth of leadership chances, women are becoming more and more interested in becoming entrepreneurs. In fact, the World Economic Forum 2022 Global Gender Gap Report highlights how the rise of women entrepreneurs has been fueled by the economic challenges faced during the epidemic and workplace disparities. In line with that, the United Arab Emirates accounted for the largest proportion of women in Forbes' 2020 list of the 100 Most Powerful Arab Businesswomen. Because of the region's strong entrepreneurial culture, businesswomen typically exhibit significant financial independence and management skills while advancing sustainability in their companies.
Women in the Middle East still face many obstacles, despite the many advancements in laws, policies, and sociological trends that have created a variety of opportunities for female entrepreneurs.
Women and other people in these situations require support networks to help them cope with life's daily challenges. With her company, Houna, Shaikha Majda Al Sabah—a remarkable example of a woman entrepreneur—is spearheading the movement for mental health.
Founder, philanthropist, entrepreneur, and advocate for mental health and well-being: Meet Shaikha Majda Al Sabah
In addition to being an entrepreneur and philanthropist, Sheikha Majda Jaber Humoud Al-Sabah is a mental health and wellbeing advocate.
In her words, "a world where human values are honored, boundaries are broken, differences are embraced, and success is measured by positive contributions to humankind" is what she envisions.
She began her career in the beauty industry in 2007 after seeing the need to create an eco-friendly company that offers clean beauty products in the Arab world. "ASAP" offers a comprehensive line of natural and ethical beauty care products that improve wellbeing and have a good social impact.
Her personal goal is "to help people achieve holistic wellbeing by advocating for mental and physical health and promoting successful businesses that embrace social responsibility." This goal is reflected in the ASAP Initiative, which she founded to support mental wellness. A portion of ASAP's profits were allocated to this initiative.
Sheikha Majda has now turned into a champion for raising awareness and eradicating the stigma associated with mental health, openly and honestly revealing details of her own problems and journey.
Sheikha Majda made the decision in 2019 to go beyond her role as a voice for change and start proactively providing access to support because she firmly believes that everyone should have access to information, support, and resources to overcome their challenges. She also believes that no one is immune to mood swings, obsessions, fears, or mental health issues.
She founded "Houna," a mental health platform, to serve as a knowledge, engagement, and support sanctuary for anyone coping with mental health problems and obstacles.
You are Houna
Everyone can experience mood swings, obsessions, anxieties, and mental health problems, according to Houna, who also believes that everyone should have access to a platform that offers tools, resources, and support to help them overcome obstacles, realize their full potential, and attain holistic well-being. You are not alone when you use Houna!
The organization's goal is to serve as a haven of information, involvement, support, and direction for those going through difficult times or mental health concerns. The principles of inclusivity, respect, secrecy, credibility, ethical compliance, honesty, and treating everyone fairly serve as the cornerstones of Houna.
Houna is aware of how crucial readily available help and resources are to your day-to-day existence.
Houna was designed to be a central location for all things related to mental health. It features a wide range of mental health specialists on its network, whom you may contact for support, as well as a series of seminars, webinars, and workshops that offer opportunities for learning and conversation on various mental health-related subjects.
Houna's team is here to help you on your mental health journey by providing insightful advice and useful recommendations for mental well-being, self-care routines, and coping mechanisms. You can reach them for advice, information, or referrals.
Join Houna's community to bring about long-lasting change from within—knowledge is power.
Houna’s Vision
A world in which every person has access to resources, information, and support to help them overcome obstacles, attain overall wellbeing, and realize their full potential.
Houna’s Mission
The goal of Houna is to serve as a haven of information, interaction, support, and direction for those going through difficult times or mental health concerns.
The principles of inclusivity, respect, secrecy, credibility, ethical compliance, honesty, and treating everyone fairly serve as the cornerstones of Houna.
Meet the Founder and Chairperson
Shaikha Majda Al Sabah is the Founder and Chairperson of Houna.
