Zena Ibrahim

The woman behind the hijab

TEDxPerth 2018
November 2018

Talk length:

11:52

The woman behind the hijab | Zena Ibrahim | TEDxPerth

Do preconceived ideas about identity prevent us from properly understanding those around us? Zenatalla Ibrahim shares her journey from nude modelling to wearing a head scarf as a Muslim woman. Zena is a member of the Access Department at UWA, advocating and representing students with chronic illness, disability and mental illness. She is also volunteer with PennyAppeal Australia, a not-for-profit organisation working in over 30 crisis-hit countries worldwide, and a speaker with BeyondBlue sharing her own personal story about mental illness.

Zena recently returned to her birth religion (Islam) as a revert and is a vocal activist and advocate for women in Islam and mental health within the Muslim community. She is a postgraduate dental student at the University of Western Australia.

Zena Ibrahim
Dentistry Student, Activist and Poet

Zena is a third year postgraduate dental student at the University of Western Australia.

She has been involved in multiple areas of the community including as a member of the Access Department at UWA, advocating and representing students with chronic illness, disability and mental illness. She is also volunteer with PennyAppeal Australia, a not-for-profit organisation working in over 30 crisis-hit countries worldwide, and a speaker with BeyondBlue sharing her own personal story about mental illness.

Zena has also been heavily involved in the Perth poetry scene making it to the finals of the WA Poetry Slam in 2017 as well as performing at the MYAWA Eid Dinner in 2018.

Zena has recently returned to her birth religion (Islam) as a revert and is a vocal activist and advocate for women in Islam and mental health within the Muslim community.