Madrid Councilor Breaks Barriers: Veiled Muslim Woman with Physics PhD Leads in Innovation

"My parents studied in Spanish educational centers in Tangier and started their careers in Granada, where I was born. They then returned to Morocco where they did not find work and moved to Madrid when I was five years old," Maysoun Douas tells the newspaper La Razòn, who not only speaks fluent Spanish, but also has a doctorate in physics from the Autonomous University of Madrid. "My family responsibilities as a wife and mother have disrupted study times, but I allowed myself the luxury of completing my doctorate with three children. And today, I participate in seminars and conferences," she adds proudly, and also grateful to her family who have always supported her.

Today, Maysoun Douas has found her path in the innovation sector, a "diverse and inclusive environment, where what matters is not who you are, but what you contribute," she explains. After meeting Madrid Mayor Manuela Carmena in July 2018, she was in charge of public relations and the creation of business ecosystems at La Nave, one of the government’s projects. "In February, a close person contacted me and told me that Manuela would be very pleased to have me on the Más Madrid electoral lists," continues Maysoun Douas, who has become the first Muslim woman elected as a councilor in the city hall.

When asked if she is a victim of prejudice or discrimination from men, she replies that those who prejudge are wrong. "I am an activist who helps young Muslims know their rights and duties... I am not an ordinary person: I am a Muslim and feminism lives in me as I live in feminism... I fight every day to be able to wear my hijab!" she proudly proclaims.