Jameela Elfaki on authentically representing womxn from the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia

Jameela Elfaki, founder and editor-in-chief of Azeema joined us over Zoom at June’s Nicer Tuesdays on behalf of her talented team. And what transpired was a talk that proved just how much Jameela and Azeema have achieved in such a short space of time.

Azeema, which was initially just a magazine, began while Jameela was in university – it was her final major project. It grew out of “feelings of frustration” in terms of not seeing herself represented in the media. She therefore started the project with the idea of authentically representing womxn from the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia in a myriad of forms, and while working with a team also hailing from this region.

Taking us through some highlight projects that have happened since, Jameela finished up by telling us about Azeema’s “natural progression” to a creative agency, as well as her hopes of making a difference in “the commercial, fashion and media sectors too.”