Nobody truly understands why I am almost evangelical about #ZafigoX until they attend it. There are many women’s conferences but as far as I know, there aren’t any that are like #ZafigoX.
Yes, we talk about travel and women but we also have the larger purpose of inspiring, encouraging and empowering women, to listen to women who, often against all odds, have succeeded in making a little change in the world.
Women like Asma Khan, ostensibly a restauranteur but more importantly an advocate for giving women their rightful recognition for what they do in the culinary world despite discrimination and abuse.
Or Nicol David, Malaysia’s squash G.O.A.T who is now giving back to children and women in the best way she knows how through education and sports. Or Dr Sakia Haque, who as a spirited medical student started Travelettes of Bangladesh – ভ্রমণকন্যা and rode to rural districts on a motorbike to talk to schoolchildren about reproductive health.
Or the amazing Dr. Mona Minkara, a professor of bioengineering at Northeastern University in Boston who also navigates the globe as an independent blind traveler and shows how it’s done on her Youtube channel @PlanesTrainsandCanes.
We had talks about etiquette, citizenship laws, and the dangers of online deepfakes and we finished the day with a video interview of Plestia Alaqad talking about her work covering the genocide in Gaza, and finally a deeply moving spoken word performance by Sheena Baharudin.
I don’t believe anyone left ZafigoX unchanged. Including the many refugees, stateless people, and Ibu Legends from the Nicol David Foundation that so many kind people donated tickets for.
Do look out for our next edition of ZafigoX!
