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Lina Khalifeh

Economic Empowerment Award, 2018

Lina Khalifeh
Jordan

Focus Areas

Women Entrepreneurship
Youth & Girls Empowerment

Lina Khalifeh is the founder and owner of SheFighter, the first Self-Defense studio for women-only started in the Middle East and expanded to more than 35 countries. SheFighter is designed to empower women physically, mentally and emotionally through Self-Defense training. SheFighter has been working to achieve gender equality through spreading awareness among students in schools and focusing on building their physical intelligence through sports, Martial Arts and Self-Defense. Founded in 2012, the studio has trained more than 18,000 women all over the globe.

Additionally, Lina has worked in her family’ s business in Jordan for four years as a marketing manager in manufacturing products in the educational field (white boards, black boards, electronic boards, etc.) and marketing those products internationally.

Lina was recognized by President Barack Obama during his speech at the White house in 2015 and was awarded the Economic Empowerment leadership award by Hillary Clinton and Vital Voices in Washington D.C. in 2018. Lina has also been awarded the ESPYS Stuart Scott Humanitarian ENSPIRE award presented by ESPN and UFC in Los Angeles, California in 2019 and spoke at the 2019 World Economic Forum in Davos.

Khalifeh’ s business supports the following SDGs:

Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being

Goal 5: Gender Equality

Goal 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal

“SheFighter is all about empowering women to stand strong in society to demand their rights. As you empower the body, the mind will be empowered. The problem with some cultures is that women themselves believe they don’t deserve those rights, which makes it a huge challenge to change the way they think about themselves and their rights. By teaching women and girls self-defense they will start feeling more confident, secure and healthy at the same time.”

Lina was selected as a 2019 WE Empower Awardee, 2018 Global Leadership Awards Honoree, a 2018 VV100 member, and a VV GROW Fellow multiple times.

 

 

Learn more about her story with her 2018 Global Leadership Awards Film.