About Loujain

Loujain AlHathloul is a Saudi women's rights activist, and a political prisoner since May 2018.

Loujain was born on 31 July 1989 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. After spending 5 years in Jeddah, Loujain’s family moved to France for 5 years after which they returned to Saudi Arabia. In Saudi Arabia, Loujain studied at Dar Al-Ulum until her graduation and moved to Canada to pursue her Bachelors in French Literature. Loujain graduated from the University of British Columbia in 2013. After her Bachelors, Loujain worked and started her MA in social research at Sorbonne University in Abu-Dhabi. She was due to graduate from Sorbonne University the year she got arrested. In 2019, she was awarded a Honorary Doctorate from the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium. 

Loujain’s activism began during her studies in Canada, through her social media. Loujain became one of the leaders in the Saudi Women’s Rights movement, reshaping the process of mass collective consciousness-raising and developing a fully articulated understanding of women’s varying social positions. She was a main voice in the movements “Together We Stand to End Male Guardianship of Women” and “Women Demand the Overthrow of Guardianship” raising awareness online and sharing information. She conducted a “driving campaign” where she and other advocates took pictures of themselves driving in the streets of Saudi Arabia in defiance of the driving ban. As part of a working group, she established a shelter for women escaping domestic violence that not only provided a place to go but helped them integrate back into society.  (For more information on her activism, please check our “Activism” page).

Loujain has done this at great cost to herself and her well-being. Loujain never used a pseudonym, a current practice used by activists to avoid reprisal. She preferred to be visible so girls and women could identify themselves in her and follow her demands for social change. For her efforts, Loujain has been arrested three times. (For more information on her arrest, torture and charges, please check our “Arrest, Torture and Charges” page.)

Loujain is a spontaneous person with a great capacity for resilience. After being released from her first arrest in 2014, she never showed any rancor or bitterness. She stays positive and optimistic even in her toughest times. Her aspiration in life can be illustrated through a quote by British activist, Emmeline Pankhurst:

In 2015, Loujain stood for local council elections, after a royal decree allowed women to both vote and run for office. However, her name was never added to the ballot. 

Loujain describes herself on LinkedIn, as a “Highly dedicated, service focused, and dynamic trilingual Third Culture Child with a strong commitment to serve the community in general, and both youth and women in specific. Determined to pursue a career in Research and Consultation to enable my goal of being a vital member of my community, a female role model, and an effective decision maker.”

Loujain represented the United Nations Global Compact UAE initiative to encourage businesses worldwide to adopt sustainable and socially responsible policies, and to report on their implementation, as a Young Ambassador for One Young World, a UK-based not-for-profit, that gathers young leaders from around the world to develop solutions to the world’s most pressing issues.

Loujain could easily have a different life as she has a very supportive family. However, she is driven by an enormous desire to contribute to improving the conditions for children and women in Saudi Arabia.

Loujain was ranked third in the list of "Top 100 Most Powerful Arab Women 2015". On 14 March 2019, PEN America announced that Nouf Abdulaziz, Loujain AlHathloul, and Eman Al-Nafjan would receive the 2019 PEN America/Barbey Freedom to Write Award. Loujain was named one of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People of 2019 and nominated by multiple persons for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2020. For more on Loujain’s international recognition, visit our Recognition page.