Writing

The ideas behind the work.

On peace, faith, survival, power, and what it takes to build institutions that hold.

Featured article · The Lancet

The Permission Gap and Moral Velocity

“When I started practising medicine in Libya, I learned something we do not teach in medical school: health access and interventions mean nothing if the community has not authorised a woman to use them. That is what drove me to create Voice of Libyan Women and build a faith-aligned movement.”
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The Lancet — The Permission Gap and Moral Velocity
The Lancet, April 2026.
Featured article · The New York Times

When Silicon Valley Seeks the Sacred

“In Rome, under frescoed ceilings, executives from Google, Meta, OpenAI and Anthropic sat not with regulators, but with priests. Even the architects of our future were looking for meaning.”
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When Silicon Valley Seeks the Sacred — The New York Times
The New York Times, Turning Points, December 2025.
Shift Notes · Monthly

Notes on what the room leaves out.

The polite version goes in the report. Subscribers get the other one.

A monthly letter on what it actually takes to build systems that survive — in health, in peace, in policy, and in life. Written for the people who design institutions and the people who hold communities together, usually after bedtime, always with coffee. Join 6,000+ readers.

I Don’t Believe in Imposter Syndrome (and Neither Should You)2026 The Other Wave of Philanthropy2026 Questions on Money, Power & What’s Next2026 Ṣadaqah Jāriyah: Sustained Giving as Systems Design2026 Ms. Rachel & the Littles: What Actual Leadership Looks Like2026 Radical Resilience & All About Aid2026
Alaa Murabit teaching a Voice of Libyan Women session against a wall still marked by the war, Libya
Where the writing began — a Voice of Libyan Women session against a wall still marked by the war. Nafusa Mountains, Libya, 2011.
Selected Writing

Authored articles, interviews, and contributions.

Authored Articles22↓
Apr 2026The LancetThe Permission Gap and Moral Velocity↗ Dec 2025The New York TimesWhen Silicon Valley Seeks the Sacred↗ May 2025Project SyndicateFaith Is Indispensable to Global Development↗ Sep 2019The GuardianWe’ve got a deadline to save people and planet — let’s start the charge↗ May 2019Project SyndicateThe Myth of Climate Wars?↗ Oct 2018The Boston GlobeThe secret to inclusive societies: Women’s reproductive freedom↗ Apr 2018Project SyndicateEnding the War on Education↗ Oct 2017WIREDHealth security is a crisis. And you can’t negotiate with a disease.↗ May 2017The GuardianEven in the age of Trump, I believe we can meet the global goals↗ Nov 2024WEF AgendaGlobal leaders are transforming the conversation on women’s health↗ Feb 2024WEF Agenda5 critical drivers for women’s and children’s health↗ Mar 2017The EldersHow women are breaking the cycle of violence, insecurity and poverty↗ Feb 2015Carter CenterForum on Women Reclaiming Faith↗ Mar 2013Christian Science MonitorIn Libya, Islam — and a purple hijab — help spurn domestic violence against women↗ Apr 2025Cosmopolitan MEArab Women Have Always Been Powerful — It’s Time the World Starts Listening to Them↗ Aug 2020Qatar FoundationWe can’t ignore the silent, parallel pandemic of 2020↗ Dec 2014New AmericaThe Power of Libya’s Female Arms Dealers↗ Nov 2014HuffPostThe Key to Countering Violent Extremism↗ Jun 2020ICLRSWhy Religious Freedom Matters to Me↗ Oct 2017ImpakterGender Equality: The Foundation for Achieving the Global Goals↗ Mar 2017HuffPost CanadaLeadership: Why Changing The World Starts At Home↗ Jul 2013Chime for ChangeFrom the Ground Up↗
Contributor1↓
Oct 2018Ballantine BooksFeminists Don’t Wear Pink (and other lies) — ed. Scarlett Curtis↗
Interviews37↓
Aug 2024The LancetAlaa Murabit: resolute advocate for women’s and children’s health↗ May 2024TIMETIME100 Health Honorees on Survival, Solutions, and Security↗ May 2024TIMETIME100 Most Influential People — Alaa Murabit↗
May 2018Financial TimesUN worker’s headscarf brings out racism in Boston
Nov 2012The New York TimesWomen Fight to Define the Arab Spring↗ Jan 2023Vanity FairA World of Good (Global Goals Leader)↗ Mar 2021CNNWomen leaders you should know and the causes they champion↗ Aug 2017The GuardianOptimistic Thinking for 2017 (series contributor)↗ Jul 2017The GuardianWhat if Women Ruled the World↗ Jan 2017ForbesForbes Profile — Alaa Murabit↗ Jan 2016CNNCNN GPS with Fareed Zakaria: Women Waging Peace↗ Oct 2015The GuardianUN members criticised for failing to include more women in peace talks↗ Nov 2014Al JazeeraLibyan women struggle to join the workforce↗ Oct 2014BBCBBC World Service — Outlook: A Voice for Libyan Women↗ May 2012Al JazeeraLibyan women hope for gains in elections↗ Mar 2026DevexThe localization agenda localized labor. It forgot to localize capital.↗ Mar 2026DevexHow the Global South can finance AI infrastructure on its own terms↗ Oct 2025Government of CanadaWomen of Impact — Alaa Murabit↗ Mar 2019UNSustainable Development Goal of the Month — Alaa Murabit, SDG Advocate↗ Jan 2019UNSDG Advocate on women’s inclusion at Davos↗ Dec 2017DevexQ&A: Dr. Alaa Murabit on pushing the SDGs alongside Messi and Shakira↗ Oct 2016The EldersThe universal pursuit towards health and well-being↗ Oct 2015UN WomenIn the Words of: Alaa Murabit↗ Mar 2015DevexIn Libya, a young woman helms crusade for a gender-balanced future↗ Aug 2014Georgetown JournalGiving a Voice to Women in Libya↗ Apr 2013The Daily BeastAlaa Murabit on Fighting for Women in Libya↗ Mar 2026Queen’s UniversityCollective responsibility for a safer future↗ Oct 2021Aga Khan MuseumThis Being Human — Alaa Murabit↗ Oct 2018School of GreatnessWhat We Need Most to Change the World↗ Jan 2018Women DeliverGetting Women at the Table: Q&A with Dr. Alaa Murabit↗ Sep 2016Refinery29Is Fashion’s Embrace of the Hijab Reappropriating Muslim Women?↗ Jul 2015Women’s Media CenterWMC Live #135 with Robin Morgan↗ Sep 2012Global Observatory (IPI)Interview with Alaa Murabit, Founder, Voice of Libyan Women↗ May 2022Dawson CollegeAward-winning women’s rights advocate Dr. Alaa Murabit on SDGs and global health↗ Dec 2017Minbar LibyaQ&A with Dr. Alaa Murabit on pushing the Sustainable Development Goals↗ Aug 2017FairPlanetAlaa Murabit: The Voice of Libyan Women — about the European responsibility↗ May 2014Al-Madina InstituteA Voice for Libyan Women: Alaa Murabit↗
Podcast · At The Table · 2020–21

Conversations with the people reshaping power, justice, and leadership.

From inclusive security to social justice to what it takes to change systems from the inside.

Guests include Malala Yousafzai, Layla Saad, Eddie Ndopu, Najwa Zebian, and Dr. Rana el Kaliouby.

Apple Podcasts → Spotify →
At The Table with Alaa Murabit — podcast cover