Yassmin Abdel-Magied

Yassmin Abdel-Magied is a Sudanese-Australian writer, engineer, and award-winning social advocate. With a diverse background in mechanical engineering, she balances a prolific career across writing, broadcasting, and advocacy for social justice issues.

Abdel-Magied's work spans literary essays, engaging TikTok videos, and hosting live television broadcasts. She is committed to making complex ideas accessible and focuses on systemic challenges within progressive politics. In her fiction work, including novels and screen projects, Abdel-Magied enjoys crafting fish-out-of-water stories that explore rich, complex themes, always centering Black Muslim women. Her writings have been influential, with four books published and two plays written. She is also developing several projects for the screen, highlighting her versatile storytelling skills.

An influential figure in discussions on race, gender, and faith, Abdel-Magied has been recognized as one of the LinkedIn 2020 #Changemakers and 2022 TikTok #Teammates. She is an award-winning speaker who has delivered keynotes and workshops in over 24 countries across five continents, speaking in Arabic, English, and French. Her TED talk, "What does my headscarf mean to you,” has been viewed over 2.3 million times and was selected as one of TED’s top ten ideas in 2015.

Abdel-Magied founded her first organisation, Youth Without Borders, at the age of 16 and led it for nine years before co-founding two additional organisations focused on serving women of color, including Mumtaza. She has been recognized for her advocacy work with numerous awards, such as the Young Voltaire Award for Free Speech, FYA’s Changemaker of the Year, and Queensland Young Australian of the Year. She has substantial governance experience, currently serving as a Trustee of the London Library and previously on the Boards of the Queensland Museum, ChildFund Australia, and OurWatch.

In broadcasting, Abdel-Magied has presented TV shows and podcasts in Australia, Britain, and the US, including "Australia Wide," "The Truth About Racism," and "Hijabistas," which looks at the modest fashion scene in Australia. She is a regular news and current affairs commentator on networks like the BBC and Al Jazeera and hosts podcasts such as "Motor Mouth," focused on Formula 1, and "EY’s Better Questions," aimed at assisting CEOs in future leadership.

Abdel-Magied is dedicated to promoting transformative justice and advocating for a fairer, safer world. She effectively engages her audiences, promoting understanding and challenging biases to foster safer, more productive environments.