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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A page from a journal or report, titled 'Global health and the politics of contempt,' discussing international health issues, the politics of health, and the moral aspects of service and authority in healthcare.

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Compounding Fragility

This is not a 'hard season.'

Pt. II: Private Capital, Public Good

Selected Writing

Op-Eds & Publications

The Lancet

The Permission Gap and Moral Velocity
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April 18, 2026
Queen's University

Collective responsibility for a safer future
Interviews

Mar 27, 2026
Devex

The localization agenda localized labor. It forgot to localize capital.
Interviews

Mar 9, 2026
Devex

How the Global South can finance AI infrastructure on its own terms
Interviews

Mar 2, 2026
The New York Times

When Silicon Valley Seeks the Sacred
Authored Articles

Dec 9, 2025
Government of Canada

Women of Impact — Alaa Murabit
Interviews

Oct 2, 2025
Project Syndicate

Faith Is Indispensable to Global Development
Authored Articles

May 21, 2025
TIME

TIME100 Health Honorees on Survival, Solutions, and Security
Interviews

May 14, 2024
TIME

TIME100 Most Influential People — Alaa Murabit
Interviews

May 2, 2024
Cosmopolitan ME

Arab Women Have Always Been Powerful — It's Time the World Starts Listening to Them
Authored Articles

Apr 14, 2025
The Lancet

Alaa Murabit: resolute advocate for women's and children's health (Lancet profile)
Interviews

Aug 24, 2024
WEF Agenda

Global leaders are transforming the conversation on women's health
Authored Articles

Nov 12, 2024
WEF Agenda

5 critical drivers for women's and children's health
Authored Articles

Feb 15, 2024
Vanity Fair

Vanity Fair: A World of Good (Global Goals Leader)
Interviews

Jan 1, 2023
Dawson College

Award-winning women's rights advocate Dr. Alaa Murabit on SDGs and global health
Interviews

May 4, 2022
Aga Khan Museum

This Being Human — Alaa Murabit (podcast interview)
Interviews

Oct 26, 2021
CNN

CNN: Women leaders you should know and the causes they champion
Interviews

Mar 3, 2021
Qatar Foundation

We can't ignore the silent, parallel pandemic of 2020
Authored Articles

Aug 17, 2020
Talk About: Law & Religion (ICLRS)

Why Religious Freedom Matters to Me
Authored Articles

June 19, 2020
The Guardian

We've got a deadline to save people and planet — let's start the charge
Interviews

Sep 26, 2019
Project Syndicate

The Myth of Climate Wars?
Authored Articles

May 23, 2019
UN Sustainable Development

Goal of the Month Interview — Alaa Murabit, SDG Advocate
Interviews

Mar 12, 2019
UN Sustainable Development

SDG Advocate on women's inclusion at Davos
Interviews

Jan 29, 2019
The Boston Globe

The secret to inclusive societies: Women's reproductive freedom
Authored Articles

Oct 11, 2018
Lewis Howes: The School of Greatness

What We Need Most to Change the World
Interviews

Oct 8, 2018
Ballantine Books

Feminists Don't Wear Pink (and other lies) — contributing writer (ed. Scarlett Curtis)
Contributing Author

Oct 2, 2018
Financial Times

UN worker's headscarf brings out racism in Boston
Interviews

May 31, 2018
Project Syndicate

Ending the War on Education
Authored Articles

Apr 4, 2018
Women Deliver

Getting Women at the Table: Q&A with Dr. Alaa Murabit
Interviews

Jan 26, 2018
Minbar Libya

Q&A with Dr. Alaa Murabit on pushing the Sustainable Development Goals
Interviews

Dec 12, 2017
Devex

Q&A: Dr. Alaa Murabit on pushing the SDGs alongside Messi and Shakira
Interviews

Dec 7, 2017
Impakter

Gender Equality: The Foundation for Achieving the Global Goals (co-authored with Ashly Yu)
Authored Articles

Oct 23, 2017
Wired

Health security is a crisis. And you can't negotiate with a disease.
Authored Articles

Oct 11, 2017
FairPlanet

Alaa Murabit: The Voice of Libyan Women — about the European responsibility
Interviews

Aug 21, 2017
The Guardian

Optimistic Thinking for 2017 (series contributor)
Interviews

Aug 7, 2017
The Guardian

What if Women Ruled the World
Interviews

Jul 5, 2017
The Guardian

Even in the age of Trump, I believe we can meet the global goals
Authored Articles

May 10, 2017
HuffPost Canada

Leadership: Why Changing The World Starts At Home
Authored Articles

Mar 7, 2017
The Elders

How women are breaking the cycle of violence, insecurity and poverty
Authored Articles

Mar 7, 2017
Forbes

Forbes Profile — Alaa Murabit
Interviews

Jan 2, 2017
The Elders

The universal pursuit towards health and well-being
Authored Articles

Oct 25, 2016
Refinery29

Is Fashion's Embrace of the Hijab Reappropriating Muslim Women?
Interviews

Sep 22, 2016
CNN

CNN GPS with Fareed Zakaria: Women Waging Peace
Interviews

Jan 4, 2016
The Guardian

UN members criticised for failing to include more women in peace talks
Interviews

Oct 14, 2015
UN Women

In the Words of: Alaa Murabit (UN Women / Devex)
Interviews

Oct 13, 2015
Women's Media Center

WMC Live #135 with Robin Morgan
Interviews

Jul 24, 2015
Devex

In Libya, a young woman helms crusade for a gender-balanced future
Interviews

Mar 9, 2015
Carter Center Forum on Women

Reclaiming Faith
Authored Articles

Feb 5, 2015
New America

The Power of Libya's Female Arms Dealers
Authored Articles

Dec 18, 2014
Al Jazeera

Libyan women struggle to join the workforce
Interviews

Nov 26, 2014
HuffPost

The Key to Countering Violent Extremism
Authored Articles

Nov 10, 2014
BBC

BBC World Service — Outlook: A Voice for Libyan Women
Interviews

Oct 31, 2014
Georgetown Journal

Giving a Voice to Women in Libya (Georgetown Journal of International Affairs)
Interviews

Aug 6, 2014
Chime for Change

From the Ground Up
Authored Articles

Jul 9, 2013
Al-Madina Institute

A Voice for Libyan Women: Alaa Murabit
Interviews

May 29, 2014
Christian Science Monitor

In Libya, Islam – and a purple hijab – help spurn domestic violence against women
Authored Articles

Mar 14, 2013
The Daily Beast / Women in the World

Alaa Murabit on Fighting for Women in Libya
Interviews

Apr 5, 2013
The New York Times

Women Fight to Define the Arab Spring (NYT feature)
Interviews

Nov 10, 2012
The Global Observatory (IPI)

Interview with Alaa Murabit, Founder, Voice of Libyan Women
Interviews

Sep 28, 2012
Al Jazeera

Libyan women hope for gains in elections
Interviews

May 18, 2012

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At The Table

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.