Growing up in Gaza, Palestine, Hala has always been interested in the idea of leadership.

She has observed people in leadership roles at her school, within her family and her surroundings and was always captivated by how they got their roles and made an impact in their circles. Her interest in leadership has influenced her academic choices, work and extracurricular activities. Given the dire healthcare situation in Gaza, Hala always saw this field as an opportunity to make an impact in her community. Due to this, Hala enrolled in a bachelor of Pharmacy program at Al-Azhar University in Gaza. Studying Pharmacy helped Hala develop her expertise in the area, taught her important skills, and inspired her deep passion and curiosity to make a difference in healthcare.

Her vast work experience in healthcare projects run by the government, NGOs, INGOs, and UNICEF was an opportunity to make an impact on evidence-led interventions for medical and social issues in health. Hala led teams that contributed to raising awareness on the plight of marginalised communities and conflicted areas. Mobilizing support for protection of health rights, children and against violence were highlights of her career. She led community-empowering initiatives such as a breast cancer initiative where around 200 women were trained to become breast cancer advocates in their communities.

During the last few years, the Gaza Strip has experienced unprecedented unemployment rate which has affected all echelons of society. She continued working towards a better society by taking part in voluntary emergency and social initiatives both in and out of Palestine. Realising the potential of the internet as a catalyst for change, Hala became part of the Al Jazeera Media Network team that built a first of its kind platform, Midan, providing content for the Arab youth. Hala still produces more than 300 reports for the platform, focusing on health and education. She won a Distinguishing Award in 2017.

Her experiences have strengthened her resolve to pursue the dream of being a model for influential woman leaders in the health field. Moreover, it has increased her awareness of the degree of insufficiency in healthcare resources. “I realize that the health sector across my country, especially in the Gaza Strip, is threatened by different factors and to counter these threats, a robust health leadership is required - which unfortunately my country lacks.” To this end, she seeks a master’s degree in Health Services Management at the University of Glasgow. Hala believes that this course will deepen her technical expertise in developing health approaches, which will be responsive to both innovations in healthcare and volatile political landscapes. Hala also hopes that studying abroad will develop her health leadership skills. Most importantly, it will help her to achieve her future goals.