Hi Everybody. In the previous days, I had informed you all that in my next update I will be talking about the Founder of World Citizens for Saudi Women. For those those who are not aware, World Citizens for Saudi Women in short WCFSW, is a social media entity that raises awareness for Saudi women through their stories. The account is very popular on platforms such as Twitter, Instagram and Facebook with thousands of followers supporting the cause. The platform was created by a beautiful Swedish Woman by the name of Camilla, who saw the need to captivate an audience through these heart-breaking stories of everyday Saudi Women. Not only have I recieved the pleasure to work with her as a friend and a colleague but I have also had the pleasure to interview her as well. Please do checkout the interview below: 1. Who are you and Where are you from? I am Camilla, a swedish woman activist. 2. What inspired you to create one of the biggest Saudi women support accounts on social media? I was badly touched by the #stopenslavingsaudiwomen campaign when it started. I thought the greatest injustice against women is not acknowledging us as adults. I also understand the concept of honor based violence since I had a friend affected by it and I knew that having a male guardian facilitates that kind of violence. So I decided to use my voice to enhance theirs. Saudi has no freedom of speech which is why I felt the need to help out from safe grounds in solidarity. The account started after a manifestation together with a few organisations in Stockholm outside the Saudi embassy, among them were an organisation against honor violence ”Never forget Pela and Fadime” that I am engaged in. I was the initiative taker to the manifestation. As I put the photos on the social media account it started back then ”sweden for saudi women”. I got a massive response from saudi feminists. Many started following and wrote the most beautiful things. They asked me to keep going. I changed the name to ”world citizens for saudi women” and more admins wanted to join. We have been different admins from many countries and the account has now been running for 1,5 years. 3. What do you plan to achieve out of this account? I plan to achieve as many followers as possible aiming to reach awareness, opinion and support for saudi feminists. They need our solidarity. Saudi is at a stage when they care about their reputation-- our goal is to raise as much power in civil societies that Saudi government feels they have no choice but to end the male Guardianship law. If they loose enough goodwill and companies stop cooperating with them due to this law.... they will change it. How I do this is by simply enhancing their voices, posting their stories under #saudiwomenspeak and showing the pictures they draw and posts they send to me. For the world to see. I want the account to be a bridge between east and west as well, trying to post everything in both arabic and english. Translating saudi feminist posts makes people in the west understand the hell they live in. 4. Have you had any challenges showing your support to Saudi Women? Yes. In the west my friends are quiet much fostered in cultural relativism meaning they dont think its allowed to care about a suffering human being from another culture. They say ”its their fight”. I dont agree, I think any suffering human being is everyones business and that we fail as humans if we do not understand that. Sometimes conservative and nationalistic saudi people say the same and the western cultural relativists: "stay out of our business, women are queens here". They just do not want to hear the voices of the oppressed or not believe they exist... because the oppression is not official, it happens behind family doors and in female prisons... these females do not dare speak up because they are imprisoned if they do. I tell these people that they must open up their hearts and show some solidarity. Their mentality is so horrifying, that they just do not care about people who suffer in their country....? What made them like that? Probably patriotic brainwashing and not being taught critical thinking. Unenlightment. 5.) What is the saddest story you have dealt with or read? The saddest story I've read is Lula, a 39 year old Saudi woman who said in these exact words, "I would love for anyone who can, to enjoy everything. Literally, enjoy not knowing what to wear, enjoy laughing out loud, enjoy the wind as it moves your hair, enjoy every moment that lige passes through you. Enjoy every second dance in the streets, experience everything. Our lives are very difficult. For someone to be able to take everything away from you, to decide who you should be...makes you feel like you are nothing. So please, anyone who is reading this is able to do those thing I mebtioned, please take my share of life and enjoy it for me because I cant have it." 6. Did you ever think of giving up when things didnt look good? No, Not at all. 7. What do you think the future will look like for Saudi Women? The future will be better. Male Guardianship law will end, it is just a matter of when. 8. Have you recieved emotional support for your activism for Saudi women? Well yes, emotional support from fellow activists :) 9. Is there any other activity you are engaged in besides advocating for Saudi women? I am engaged against honor violence in Sweden, and I am a support person for victims in sweden, writing articles and so on. I also work as a physician fulltime so I keep myself busy... 10. Whats the one thing you want the world to know about Saudi women? Dehumanizing women is not something any human being on this planet can accept. There is suffering beyond your grasp. Many women see no other way out other than suicide. We must all rise to help them. Democracy and freedom of women in Saudi and the middle east is what will stabilize this world, there is a direct relationship between gender equality and peace. This is what our wolrd needs. Please join us! Facebook- World_Citizens_for_Saudi_Women Instagram: @World_Citizens_for_Saudi_Women Twitter: @World_Citizens_for_Saudi_Women