Queen Rania of Jordan
A champion of education and women's rights who transformed Jordan's global image through advocacy and humanitarian work
Queen Rania Al-Abdullah (born 31 August 1970) has been a transformative figure in Jordan and globally through her advocacy for education, women's empowerment, and social justice. As the wife of King Abdullah II, she leverages her royal platform to drive systemic change while maintaining a modern, approachable public image.
Her most significant contribution is the Queen Rania Foundation, established in 2003 to improve education quality across Jordan. The foundation pioneered initiatives like the Teach for Jordan program, training over 1,000 teachers and reaching 150,000 students annually. She also spearheaded the Education for All campaign, which increased female school enrollment by 22% in underserved areas.
Rania's global impact extends through her work with UNICEF as a Goodwill Ambassador (2002-2009), where she advocated for child rights in conflict zones like Darfur. Her TED Talk "The Power of Education" has over 1.5 million views, emphasizing education's role in combating extremism.
Her Women's Empowerment initiatives include the Women's Economic Empowerment Program, creating 5,000+ jobs for Jordanian women through microfinance. She also drove legal reforms, including Jordan's 2014 law mandating women's representation in parliament.
Rania's unique approach combines traditional diplomacy with modern communication. She uses social media platforms like Instagram (3.2M followers) to share stories of marginalized communities, amplifying voices often ignored by mainstream media. Her memoir My Voice (2004) provides insights into her advocacy strategies, while her Children of the World documentary series highlights global education challenges.
Her influence extends to tech innovation through the Majalatv platform, offering free online education resources in Arabic. During the Syrian refugee crisis, she launched the Education for All initiative that provided schooling for 300,000 displaced children.
Queen Rania's legacy is measured in tangible outcomes: Jordan's literacy rate increased from 89% (2000) to 97.9% (2020), with girls' enrollment matching boys' for the first time in 2018. Her work has earned her 12 international humanitarian awards, including the World's Outstanding Woman (2009) from the UK.