On international women's day 2023, Noor Jaber received the inaugural 'Unlock Her Future Prize 2023' MENA edition presented by The Bicester Collection in partnership with Ashoka and New York University Abu Dhabi. The prize includes a business grant of up to 100,000 USD, mentorship from international experts, and registration in an education programme with New York University Abu Dhabi.
In 2017, Noor graduated from the Master in Public Health program at Faculty of Health Science, American University of Beirut (AUB). She concentrated her studies in Health Promotion and Community Health. Noor began her career as a public health professional working in both public health research and practice at the AUB & the Red Cross & Red Crescent Movement. She has worked both nationally and regionally in diverse themes including Sexual and Reproductive Health, Maternal and Child Health, Disaster Management and Weapons Contamination. Throughout her career she was involved in developing regional and national Disaster Management strategies, planning, and implementing social and behavioral change communication interventions, and conducting monitoring and evaluation research projects.
Upon her graduation, Noor received the Najib Nehmah – Public Health Leadership award and was inducted into the Delta Omega Honorary Society - Gamma Delta Chapter where she served as the president of the chapter during 2020.
Over the past year, Noor pursued her passion for women issues and wellbeing and founded NAWAT Health. NAWAT is a women centered, integrated digital platform that aims to empower Arab females to attain their optimal sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and enable them to make informed bodily choices and stay healthy. Through NAWAT women can access comprehensive, evidence based sexual and reproductive health and rights educational courses in Arabic and connect with a variety of trusted and trained experts in the SRHR field to have online non-judgmental and quality health consultations all in confidentiality, privacy, and convenience.
This prestigious prize is a validation of the importance of women's health in the MENA region and the need to address the structural barriers that prevent women from caring for their wellbeing.
In the coming few years, Noor aims to work towards shifting the paradigm for women sexual and reproductive healthcare in the region to improve women's health. Most importantly, Noor is looking forward to changing the realities of women, have them listened to by healthcare professionals and have their concerns taken seriously at every stage of their journey. Noor hopes that NAWAT will be a starting point to end taboos and stigmas that reinforce beliefs that painful symptoms – the hidden pain from as a symptom of gynecological conditions – are normal and something to be endured and that sexual health is not relevant in our overall wellbeing.