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Meet The Woman Who Is Yemen's Unstoppable Scientist

NPR
Published June 26, 2017 at 1:52 PM EDT
"In college, I would tell my friends that I wanted to pursue a Ph.D., and they would chuckle and ridicule the idea," says Eqbal Dauqan, who is an assistant professor at the University Kebangsaan Malaysia at age 36. Born and raised in Yemen, Dauqan credits her "naughty" spirit for her success in a male-dominated culture. (Sanjit Das for NPR)
"In college, I would tell my friends that I wanted to pursue a Ph.D., and they would chuckle and ridicule the idea," says Eqbal Dauqan, who is an assistant professor at the University Kebangsaan Malaysia at age 36. Born and raised in Yemen, Dauqan credits her "naughty" spirit for her success in a male-dominated culture. (Sanjit Das for NPR)

Some people break down cultural barriers at warp speed. They thrive in life, even under the most dire circumstances.

NPR’s Michaeleen Doucleff (@FoodieScience) introduces one of those individuals. Eqbal Dauqan has made a career as a biochemistry professor in Yemen. But her journey hasn’t been easy: Yemen is ranked by the World Economic Forum as the worst country for women’s rights.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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