Sayidaty Magazine & Pantene Arabia Women of Strength Writing Competition

Pantene Middle East launched the Shine Program to enable ambitious young women to achieve their personal and professional goals through education and leadership training.  The initiative was driven by the growing movement for women empowerment in Saudi Arabia. 
To celebrate the contribution that women could make to society, Sayidaty Magazine and Pantene launched a writing competition to inspire young women.  All women in the region were encouraged to submit short stories to the magazine.  Even though I was an expat at the time, I took a chance and submitted an article.  I achieved second place in the entire region and my article was published in the magazine.
It felt good to express my voice in the desert where the cries of women have only been heard since 2017.  I was amazed that my writing inspired women across such a diverse and expansive part of the globe.  This gave me the encouragement I needed to gain my certification as an Image Consultant and Personal Shopper as well as, empowering myself with courses as a Life Coach and NLP Practitioner.
I entered the Fashion Retail Industry in Saudi Arabia with a company called Al Hokair Fashion Retail.  At that time, women were only beginning to enter the Fashion Industry and the challenges were many.  I travelled extensively to Hong Kong, London, Italy, Seoul, Dubai, Egypt and South Africa.  My tenure at Al Hokair was short-lived because I had to return to South Africa.
However, the Fashion Retail Industry is still where my heart lies.  This opportunity has given me the ability to marry my Creative Writing with my love for fashion and Image Consulting.