I started my midwifery career aspirations as an 8 year old watching the midwife caring for mum and baby sister in our home.  A year after my marriage in 1988 I embarked on my Nursing career, which in those days was rare for a British Yemeni female to work let alone study.  I like to think of myself as a disrupter.  I qualified as a Registered General Nurse in 1990 and during this training period I took a total of 6 weeks maternity leave following the birth of my 1^st child.

I continued to work as a RGN on an acute medical ward for 5 years following my qualification and became the nurse in charge very shortly after.  In 1995 following the birth of my 2^nd child I came into contact with a Black Midwife who fully inspired me to embark on my midwifery training. 

In 1997, I qualified as a Registered Midwife and worked within the same hospital and up-to 2002. worked within Team midwifery gaining all round skills in all areas of the maternity services becoming a senior Midwife,  However following 9/11 I started to experienced what I now understand to be discrimination and micro-aggressive behaviour as a visible Muslim.  I started to feel unsafe and as a result I decided to leave my job and the NHS too.

From 2002 – 2012, I worked within the Voluntary Sector Organisation as a Community Health Development Officer addressing discrimination, the wider determinants of health and gaining a strong understanding of health inequalities of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic groups in particular the Arab communities.  Working within the voluntary sector gave me immense pride and understanding of my Yemeni heritage with the confidence to be able to advocate for Arab and other vulnerable members of our community, ensuring they are heard and their needs represented within statutory services.

After a 10 year break from the NHS I felt ready to re-enter the register and undertook a Return to Practice course.  In 2013 I re-entered the Nursing and Midwifery Council register as a Midwife.  Since then I have worked in as inpatient Midwife, Community Midwife and became one of the first Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Lead Midwives in the Midlands.  During this period I have ensured families we cared for were at the heart of shaping new and innovative delivery of services alongside ensuring the workforce had the understanding and the means to address the wider determinants of health in their care delivery aiming to drive improvement in outcomes.