A criminologist, forensic psychologist, she is also a children’s rights activist working to eradicate child abuse in the GCC.

CV: A criminologist, forensic psychologist, and a trauma specialist, Lama Younis is also a children’s rights activist working to eradicate child abuse in the GCC and beyond. She established the Hissah Enrichment Centre to help children and adults achieve personal empowerment and improve their personal and professional relationships.

Where it began: “One incident that influenced me when I was young was seeing a young woman beat her child mercilessly using a wooden spatula in a supermarket. “It encouraged me to learn about child abuse so I’d be equipped to create awareness in parents using the right resources. This led me to pursue psychology.”

Dreaming big: “My ultimate goal is to bring change not just in this region, but also the rest of the world. Abuse is a social evil and it’s important that we stand together to fight it.”

 What winning means to me: “I’d like the Emirates Woman Awards 2015 to serve as a channel for more people to acknowledge my work and work with me towards building a safe community.”

Photographed by: Farooq Salik  | Assisted by: Kristina Nabieva