The Tunisian Association of Innovative Arab Women (Mobde’at Arabiyyat) has invited prominent Egyptian actress Yasmin Raeis and Egyptian writer Nawal El-Saadawi to be honored during its 22nd conference, which will be held between 26 and 28 April in Sousse, Tunisia.

This year’s conference is running under the theme of ‘Self-Representation in the Creativity of Arab Women.’

The Innovative Arab Women Forum was established in 1996 "with the aim of introducing the creativity of Arab women in all human fields, facilitating the exchange of experiences between Arab creators and strengthening the bonds between them," writes MAD Solutions, a Cairo-based company that specialises in public relations and marketing in the cinema field.

Raeis, the first young star honored by the conference, will receive this recognition due to her role in Factory Girl (2014), while the established writer El-Saadawi will be honoured for her pioneering role in defending women's rights in the Arab world.

Raeis, the star of Looking For Umm Kulthum, Hepta and other well-known cinematic works, has garnered many awards for her role in Factory Girl, including the best actress award from the Dubai International Film Festival, best actress from the Malmo Arabic Film Festival in Sweden, as well as other local and international awards.

Factory Girl has also won the director and other cast members a large number of awards at international festivals.

El-Saadawi is a renowned Egyptian feminist who has authored more than 60 books, including novels, plays, short stories, and feminist critiques. Her works have been translated to many languages.

Her latest book Mufakirat Tifla fi Al-Khamisa wa Al-Thamaneen (A Notebook of an 85-year-old Girl), released in 2017, is based on excerpts from her journal, where she addresses issues faced by women like herself as well as the general concerns of a country experiencing a series of crises and tribulations.

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