Rania Al-Baz

Saudi media personality who transformed domestic violence awareness in the Arab world

Rania Al-Baz (b.1975) became the first Arab woman to publicly expose domestic violence after her 2004 near-fatal beating by her husband. Her photographs of facial injuries published in Okaz newspaper shattered cultural taboos, sparking legislative reforms across GCC countries.

As host of MBC's «Bil-Arabi», Al-Baz interviewed marginalized groups from Bedouin women to political prisoners. She co-founded the Karama Human Rights Foundation providing legal aid to abuse survivors. Her advocacy pressured Saudi authorities to enact 2013's Protection from Abuse Law, criminalizing domestic violence.

Despite death threats, Al-Baz pioneered digital activism through social media campaigns promoting women's right to divorce. Her 2020 memoir detailed surviving reconstructive surgeries, inspiring #ArabMeToo movements. Today she advises UNESCO on media gender parity, challenging Orientalist stereotypes through documentary production.