Shamma Al Mazrui

Youngest minister advocating for youth and gender equality

Shamma bint Sultan Al Mazrui became the world's youngest government minister at age 22 when appointed UAE Minister of State for Youth Affairs in 2015. As a visionary leader, she pioneered policies that transformed youth engagement in the Arab world, including establishing the National Strategy for Youth Empowerment (2017-2021) which increased youth employment rates by 27% within three years. Her initiatives like the 'Youth Empowerment Program' provided vocational training to over 150,000 young Emiratis and created 30,000 new jobs.

Al Mazrui's gender equality advocacy led to the UAE's ratification of the UN Women's Empowerment Principles in 2018, resulting in 30% female representation in corporate boards by 2022. She co-founded the Arab Youth Climate Hub, mobilizing 50,000+ young activists across 12 countries to address climate change through initiatives like the Dubai Carbon Neutral Initiative.

Her global influence extends to UN platforms where she co-chairs the UN Secretary-General's Envoy on Youth Advisory Board. In 2020, she launched the 'She Leads' digital platform, providing mentorship to 200,000+ women entrepreneurs in developing nations through partnerships with UNESCO and UN Women.

Al Mazrui's work is documented in Global Youth Leadership: Case Studies from the UAE (2019) and featured in BBC's 100 Women series. She's been recognized by Forbes as one of the World's 100 Most Powerful Women (2021) and TIME's Next Generation Leaders (2022).