She may be the supermodel we have eagerly followed since 2013, when she started strutting international catwalks and lighting up magazine covers and huge campaigns, but Imaan Hammam also ensures she has time to champion young girls and women. The Amsterdam-born beauty with Moroccan and Egyptian links has been working with She’s the First, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) that fights gender inequality and believes every girl, wherever she is from, should be educated, respected, and heard.
And her role as Global Ambassador for the community of change makers is more important than ever during the global pandemic. While talking to “Harper’s BAZAAR” about her responsibility, she explained how the empowering organisation has raised money through a fund during these uncertain times so girls can continue studying online and have access to essentials like masks and hand sanitizers so they can stay safe.
“It also helped provide counsellors for these girls so they're able to talk to someone outside of their family if they're having a harder time adjusting to the world's changes,” Hammam told the publication that cherry-picked her as one of its Women of the Year.
The New York-based model, who has become a role model for those on a self-love mission, first became involved with She’s the First in 2019. That’s when Hammam, who has teamed up with the likes of Givenchy, Hermes Chanel, and Valentino, invited her followers along during her visit to Starfish International, a She’s the First partner in The Gambia. That same year, the model known for embracing her natural looks asked for donations to be sent to the establishment that focuses on service to humanity and service-learning while encouraging and educating girls. The campaign celebrating her 23rd birthday raised over $5,000. More recently, Hammam, who is represented by DNA Model Management, has been using her platform to raise awareness and is involved with a variety of fundraising activities.
About She’s the First
She’s the First, which celebrated its 10th year in 2019, “fights for a world where every girl chooses her own future.” Through partner programmes, the organisation directly impacts 11,000 girls every day, and their goal this year was to fund and strengthen these programmes, while fighting for the rights of millions more.
She’s the First has ties with effective local grassroots organisations in 21 countries. Together, they want to guarantee girls are educated, including graduating from high school, sexual/reproductive health lessons and important life-skills training. The NGO also works towards ensuring girls are respected by training educators and mentors to highlight girls’ voices and views. Additionally, She’s the First makes certain young females are heard by strengthening their voices to dispute gender biases and alter the policies and attitudes that act as barriers to their potential.
