As the new year begins hundreds of Uottawa clubs are deciding on the personnel that will lead them for this academic year. From the new University of Ottawa Students’ Union to The Agora Tribune, the majority of organizations have new faces leading them. However, we wanted to shed light on three inspiring women who are breaking the glass ceilings. Today’s feature will focus on Dana Said, Rachel Khoury, and Sarah Hilfi.

Dana Said is the co-president of the Palestinian Students Association(PSA), a cultural club in the University of Ottawa. Dana is born and raised in Stittsville, Ottawa alongside her friend Sarah Hilfi, the president of the Iraqi Student Association (ISA). Meanwhile, Rachel Khoury was born in Syria to a Lebanese family that moved to Canada when Rachel was three, Rachel is the co-president of the Lebanese Cultural Club (LCC).

Last year, the three women worked together alongside a part of the Arab student community to organize The Arab Gala, an event that was attended by 600 people, including three ambassadors. The Gala was a night full of great music, food, and performances, but for those women, it was more than a night full of fun.

Part of the Arab Gala festivities (Johnny Khoury Photography)

“Last year, I was the VP of marketing for PSA, and when the Arab Gala came and I realized that we reached a state where we can get 600 people together for a single event, I knew we had a platform and I knew I had to utilize it for the greater good. That night made me want to take the step up and put in the work to become the president of the association and focus on more charitable work in the Middle East, the Arab Gala really inspired me to take this club in a different direction.”



“ISA didn’t exist before last year, and up until the Arab Gala, our focus was just to let people know that we exist, but during the gala, something ignited in me. I was thinking to myself “Holy Shit, I made this happen, I organized something that 600 people paid money to attend”. That moment made me want to step up and take charge. Our former presidents Yahya and Zobadia did fantastic work to establish the club and get it off the ground, but I wanted to focus on using our privilege to help those that need it and that is something that everyone at the association agrees on. “



The Arab Gala was a resounding success last year, but it wasn’t without its troubles. The organizers faced criticism for using the term “Arab” but failed to include associations from North Africa.



Organizers of the 2019 Arab Gala pose for a picture (Johnny Khoury Photography)

“Last year we made a huge mistake in the way we handled things. The Arab Gala was an idea that started between friends who happened to be part of certain clubs, from then on it was a race to turn the idea into something real and into something that people will enjoy, and in the process, we missed the fact that not including them would cause offence. It was by far the biggest mistake that we made last year and after realizing how much it affected them, we grew to regret the way we handled things. I think I speak on behalf of everyone here that the mistake was not intentional and we never wanted to cause any offence, but the issue simply slipped our mind and we are terribly sorry that it happened. We all wanted the Arab Gala to be the legacy we leave behind us in the University, we want it to be something that everyone is excited about all year just like the Panda Game or 101 week. We feel that the city of Ottawa was missing something like this, and naturally, when trying to do something of the size, mistakes will be made. We have learned from our mistakes, and for this year’s edition of the Arab Gala, we will do better to include all the Arab countries and present a more complete image of our culture.”

Organising the Arab Gala took a tremendous amount of time and effort, combine that with running a club, working part-time jobs, and school it seems there aren’t enough hours in the day to get all that done, so how do these women manage to juggle all these responsibilities?



Part of PSA’s team last year. This year, the club expanded to include 15 board members to share the workload (Johnny Khoury Photography)

“This year, PSA decided to have a team of 15 people including two co-presidents. It makes it easy to delegate work and tasks between people, everyone is super supportive and committed to the club, which makes handling things on this front much easier.”

Meanwhile, The Iraqi Student Association and the Lebanese Cultural Club took different approaches this year.

Rachel Khoury alongside LCC co-president Omar Merebi. (Johnny Khoury)

“We’re different,” said Sarah. “We only have five people on our team. What makes us successful is the fact that we don’t stick strictly to our titles, although we have members who are tasked with marketing, finance, and communications, everyone helps each other and makes sure the club as a whole is successful in all areas. They all appreciate the fact that I hold two jobs in addition to school commitments, so they are understanding and supportive when I have days in which I don’t have time to fully contribute.”

“LCC is in the same boat as ISA, we only have six people on the board, but the main area we focus on is communication. We make sure we are fully transparent with each other and communicate constantly in order for our club to continue to be successful. However, at the end of the day, we all realize that school comes first, and we all make sure that it school is a priority alongside our club”.



Having women in leadership positions is something of a rarity in the Middle East, but these women are trying to change the mentality of the community and enact broader change. However, as Sarah Hilfi tells us, their mission is not one without difficulties



Sarah Hilfi became president of the Iraqi Student Association following an election in April. (Ali Alfakhri/ The Agora Tribune)

“I’m not going to lie” said Sarah. “I have been talked down to when I reach out for some of the older members of our community, they would treat me like I’m a little girl or they would ask to talk to someone else, but I don’t take it to heart. I realize that the person has probably lived in the middle east for the majority of their lives, and thus their way of thinking is different. It definitely doesn’t excuse their behaviour, but I refuse to take it to heart, they just need to grow a backbone and deal with it, it’s a lot better with the younger generation, it still happens, but it is rare that someone treats me in a sexist way. “

However, Dana and Rachel had mixed experiences

“There’s definitely a stereotype in the middle east, you even see it often in Arab media, that a women’s role is to be a housewife, and there is definitely a stigma surrounding women leaders. But growing up here made me realize that it is not the case. As an Arab women my will and what I want to do matters. I haven’t experienced direct sexism in my work with LCC, but I see that sometimes when I deal with older members of the community I am questioned twice and I need to prove something but with the support of the board members I always stand my ground and focus on what we are trying to achieve.”



“Personally, I’ve never experienced sexism here”. Added Dana Said, “ Growing up in Canada, everyone was taught that men and women are equal, and that’s the way that I have been treated when it comes to my surroundings. However, the case is very different in the Middle East, in some parts, women don’t have a voice at all, but I feel like it is changing for the better. The Palestinian embassy has shown nothing but respect and support, and it’s very reassuring knowing that they are on our side.”

Despite all the obstacles they face, Dana Said had some important advice for young women who aspire to lead the future.

Dana Said and Sarah Hilfi both grew up in the suburbs of Ottawa and have been classmates since elementary school (Ali Alfakhri/ Agora Tribune)

“Embrace your culture, don’t let it die and don’t be afraid to show it, Sarah and I went to the same school, and for the twelve years we spent in school, we rarely ever came in contact with other Arabs, I hated the fact that I was different and I resisted going to Arabic classes on Saturday or listening to Arabic music in the car. I just wanted to fit in and be like my peers, and bit by bit I started to shy away from my heritage, but as I started to get involved with PSA, I started to realize how great my culture is, and how wrong I’ve been all those years”

Dana raised an interesting point about identity, all three women have spent most of their lives in Canada, went to Canadian schools, and are Canadian citizens. So how do they balance two cultures which are very different from each other?

“I think there is a time and place for each aspect of your identity because I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t Canadian because I am. I’m very much Canadian but I’m also very much Iraqi and I’m so happy that I am both. That’s great at work because I can do all sort of things and I fit in and I can assimilate to the culture and the work-life. But then when it’s time to go back to my personal life I can go back to being this other version of me, not to say that the person I am at work isn’t me, but for me there is a time and place for each culture So I find that work or even at school or in class, that’s when it’s Canadian. But when I’m with my friends or at home or even just by myself that’s when I’m Iraqi.”

Dana has a different view, she believes that representing her origins is what makes her a Canadian.

Dana said was born in Canada to a Palestinian mother and a Lebanese father. (Ali Alfakhri/ Agora Tribune)

“To me, representing my culture is me being Canadian. I am grateful to be from a country that allows everyone to represent themselves freely without persecution. When people ask me where I’m from, I tell them that I’m a Canadian born, half-Palestinian and half-Lebanese, because that is where my roots are, and those are the cultures that adopt and act upon. So in my mind, when I stay true to my roots, that’s me being Canadian.

Rachel, who was born in Syria, argued that ultimately it is the culture in which she grew up that defines her.

“I’m proud I was born in Syria. I have always identified myself that I’m half Lebanese and half Syrian. I am also definitely proud to be Canadian. Canada has always been home in a sense because I am able to follow my beliefs and adhere to my culture while being far away from my country (Lebanon). I feel it would be different if you asked someone who’s lived in Canada for generations and hasn’t known anything different. Being in Canada allows me to live with and experience a multitude of cultures, which is something that I love and at the end of the day being able to be Arab and live in that culture far from home.”

Lebanon is the only country in the Middle East in which the population is split evenly between Christians and Muslims, this present Rachel Khoury with the delicate challenge of appeasing a student base that is religiously diverse.

Rachel belongs to the Lebanese Christian community. Who form 45% of Lebanon’s population. (Ali Alfakhri/Agora Tribune)

“We stick to the fact that we are a non-religious club. We have 2 Christians on the board and the rest are Muslims, but that doesn’t matter and we don’t let our religious differences get in the way. One way that we navigate the religious diversity is that we don’t do religion-specific events. We want everyone to feel included and comfortable within the community of LCC.”

Iraq is a majority Muslim country, but it is also split between two sects, Shia’a and Sunnis, and the country’s recent history has been marred with sectarian violence, this means that Sarah and her Iraqi Student Association need to navigate this sensitive issue.

“First off, I’d like to state that I’m half of each sect, I know that kind of doesn’t make sense, but my parents come from different sects, and I’ve always been raised not to pay attention to someone’s faith. I think I have a great opportunity as president to eradicate the little sectarianism that remains in our community, and I’m very grateful that my team shares the same sentiment and is helping me achieve that goal. Similarly to LCC, we don’t do any events or discuss matters in which only one sect takes part in no matter how significant, because that’s how problems arise”

Meanwhile, Dana has to lead a team that also deals with a sensitive topic, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The club is listed as non-political, but when such a big part of Palestinian identity is the struggle against occupation, how do you build a successful club without addressing the politics that dominate daily life.

Dana Said alongside her co-president Maha Buhisi. The pair were jointly elected to lead PSA during the summer. (Shadden Mansour)

“We’ve recently discussed this matter in a meeting. PSA has a platform and we want to use it to raise awareness of our problems and our struggles. We won’t bring up Israel or paint them in a negative light because that is not what we do. There are Jewish and Israeli clubs on campus and we are completely respectful of them and we have received the same treatment back. Our goal is to take care of our people by raising awareness and donating money, but we don’t want to bring up Israel’s role because that’s not what we want to do. We don’t want this collaborative group of people who are doing a good thing to start turning political and start to stray away from our club’s mission and values”

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