The #WomenInMaleFields TikTok trend started as a space for women to vent about relationship struggles, but the real plot twist? Women aren’t just exposing double standards in dating—they’re dismantling them in the workplace, too.
Across industries historically dominated by men, Arab Gen Z women are stepping up, taking charge, and proving that no field is off-limits. From gaming and engineering to science and sports, they’re not just breaking into these spaces but owning them like true girl bosses.
Take Aya Mouallem, the Lebanese electrical engineer paving the way for future coders. Or Alia Al Mansoori, the Emirati scientist whose work is ~literally~ out of this world. Then there are the Arab women making some serious waves by redefining gaming and streaming culture. These women aren’t just pushing past barriers, they’re ensuring the next generation won’t have any—and that’s exactly what we’re here for.
But let’s be real, the playing field isn’t entirely even just yet. Women in male-dominated industries still face scepticism, bias, and the constant pressure to prove themselves. The difference now? They’re no longer asking for permission to be seen.
Whether it’s commanding a research lab or dominating the e-sports competition, these women are here to show up and straight-up refuse to be underestimated. The message is loud and clear: the future isn’t just female—it’s fearless and unstoppable. It’s about damn time.
The Game Changers
Tala Radwan
Take Tala Radwan, for example. The Palestinian-American gamer and streamer has been fighting for her place in the industry from day one.
Growing up in the U.S. with roots in Palestine, Tala always felt the weight of expectations—not just as a woman in gaming but as an Arab woman challenging norms. “You go through your entire life thinking people would be proud that Palestinians are getting into these fields,” she shares. “But then there’s always a line drawn when it’s a female.”
From the moment she started cosplaying and streaming, the double standards hit hard. “It was okay for men to do it, but the second a woman joined in, it was like the haram police came after you.”
The backlash wasn’t subtle—constant scrutiny over how she dressed, what she played, and even her right to represent her heritage in a male-dominated space. But for every troll in her comments, there was an Arab fan rooting for her. “Some were like, ‘I’ve been waiting for an Arab female to represent us in this industry,’” Tala says. “We don’t always want to be seen as this strict, outdated culture. The Middle East is diverse, and I’m here to show that.”
Instead of letting the negativity slow her down, she used it as fuel. “The men screaming at you? White noise. You just keep moving forward.”
Maryam Maher
That’s exactly what Maryam Maher did, too. The Bahraini Twitch streamer and e-sports competitor turned her childhood obsession with gaming into a career—one that’s already rewriting the script for Arab women in e-sports.
It all started at her grandmother’s house, playing GTA with her cousins. “That’s where my love for gaming sparked,” she says. But what began as a hobby quickly turned into something bigger when she discovered Call of Duty and became addicted to the competition.
Maryam isn’t just another girl gamer you’d scroll past on gaming TikTok—she’s determined to be the best. Winning the Game Changers Championship at just 16 proved she had the skills to back it up, but like every diamond in the rough, getting there wasn’t easy.
“Hard work definitely pays off,” she says. “I spent most of my days practising and prioritising improvement. But the biggest lesson? Mental health matters. I didn’t focus on it enough, and it took a toll.”
Now, she makes it a point to talk about the pressure of competing, especially for women breaking into e-sports. “Gaming requires hours of playtime, but if your mental health is off, you won’t improve. You have to balance it—go outside, touch grass please, and take care of yourself.”
Beyond her personal wins, Maryam is playing for something bigger: representation. “One of my goals is to show that Arab women can compete on an international stage. People think female gamers can’t keep up, but we’re proving them wrong.”
With the industry slowly but surely evolving, she’s hopeful the future will look different. “In a few years, I truly believe Arab women will be competing in tier-one tournaments. It may seem impossible now, but change is coming.”
Aya Mouallem
Much like Aya Mouallem, a Lebanese engineer, researcher, and all-around tech queen who’s basically the blueprint for every STEM-loving girlie out there. Born and raised in Beirut (aka “the city that lives rent-free in her heart”), Aya’s obsession with engineering started young—like, tinkering-with-electronics-in-middle-school young. So much so that she became the first in her extended family to pursue computer engineering and hasn’t looked back since.
Currently, she’s a fifth-year PhD candidate and a Knight-Hennessy scholar at Stanford researching how to make engineering education more inclusive. But her résumé doesn’t stop there. She’s also the co-founder of All Girls Code, an initiative helping Lebanese girls enter STEM fields because, as she puts it, “It takes a village to complete a lot of work.”
If that wasn’t impressive enough, Aya is also working on a ground-breaking project for the blind and low-vision (BLV) community in the Bay Area, creating the first accessible educational electronics simulator. “Engineering tools are super visual, which isn’t accessible for blind learners. We’re changing that.”
Alia Al Mansoori
While most of us were still figuring out our A-level subjects, Alia was already making waves in the space industry—at 15, that is. Yes, 15.
The Dubai-born prodigy and former Cosmo cover star won the UAE’s Genes in Space competition, earning the chance to send her DNA experiment to the International Space Station. Since then, she’s been on a mission (pun intended) to carve a path for Arab women in STEM, proving that the future of space exploration isn’t just male—it’s multilingual, diverse, and, most importantly, inclusive.
“My dream, for as long as I can remember, has been to become an astronaut,” Alia shares. “Even though my academic interest is in biology, this has shaped my career to apply biology to space-related fields. Even when it means exploring an uncharted area where biology and space intersect, like space biomining—the field I’m currently involved in.”
Now pursuing a PhD in Bioengineering at Cornell University, Alia is genetically engineering microbes for biomining asteroids, the Moon, and Mars.
But being a young woman in a field historically dominated by men? It’s not exactly an easy launch. “Now that I’m in the US, I definitely feel like the field is male-dominated,” she admits. “This experience has shaped me because I now have a stronger focus on inspiring other women to enter this field.”
Alia is also passionate about paving the way for the next generation of Emirati girls—whether in space, medicine, or AI. “Don’t be afraid to explore new fields. If you can’t find your own space, create your own.”