Who we are

We believe in a future where all women are inspired to follow their dreams. We support and empower women to believe in themselves and use their voice. When women seek support, we stand next to them. We feel successful when we contribute to a world driven by compassion.

Shamsaha’s vision is

to empower women to thrive

we believe in acting with

conviction + compassion

We value conviction: We hold a firm belief in the power of our cause. This unshaken position fuels our commitment to changing the world and making it a better place.

We value compassion: Our dedication to the greater good drives us to really be present to what’s going on around us. We truly care about what we do and do whatever we can to further our cause.

Mary-Justine Todd, MPH, MA

Shamsaha Founder & Executive Director

Mary-Justine Todd is the founder and executive director of Shamsaha. M-J holds a Master’s Degree in International Public Health from New York University, as well as a Master’s Degree in International Studies, from the University of Iowa and is completing a PhD in International Human Rights Law from the University of Leicester. She is the winner of EY’s 2018 Middle East Winning Women Award for women entrepreneurs. She is Afkarech’s 2018 Woman of the Year and the 2019 International Gold Prize Stevie Award winner for women in non-profit business. She is the winner of Ingrid Vanderveldt’s Empowering A Billion Women 2020 – Most Innovative App Award, as the creator of the Shamsaha mobile app, to scale the humanitarian services in Bahrain, making 24/7 multi-lingual and culturally sensitive crisis support services available to millions of women for the first time ever throughout the Middle East. A former international humanitarian aid worker, specializing in gender-based violence for refugees and vulnerable populations, M-J has worked for major global NGOs such as The International Rescue Committee and the US Refugee Resettlement Program.

Munira AlShaikh

Shamsaha President & Co-Founder of Insights Therapy

Munira is the UK registered and accredited integrative psychotherapist and clinical hypnotherapist. She is a registered member of The National Register of Psychotherapists and Counselors (NRCP, UK), as well as she is a registered and accredited member of The Association for Professional Hypnosis and Psychotherapy (APHP, UK). She is the co-founder of Insights Therapy – a center that focuses on psychotherapy and psychology. Munira is also a crisis advocate with Shamsaha, and since being involved from the very early days, she has become a integral part of the organization advising on cultural nuance and client are.