Hana Elhebshi (

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...

: هناء الحبشي; born c. 1985) is a Libyan activist and

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

. Elhebshi worked as an

in Tripoli. Her father was a military commander running the Air Force at the base in Noviaga. She became an activist during the Libyan revolution even though she had not been politically active before. She became a cyberactivist, reporting the siege of Tripoli online. She advised

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...

strikes and made public how many people were killed by Muammar Gaddafi's regime during the Libyan revolution. She also wanted to speak out to tell the world about the suffering in Libya that had gone on for years. She used the name "

Numidia Numidia ( Berber: ''Inumiden''; 202–40 BC) was the ancient kingdom of the Numidians located in northwest Africa, initially comprising the territory that now makes up modern-day Algeria, but later expanding across what is today known as Tunis ...

" for her activism, a reference her

Berber Berber or Berbers may refer to: Ethnic group * Berbers, an ethnic group native to Northern Africa * Berber languages, a family of Afro-Asiatic languages Places * Berber, Sudan, a town on the Nile People with the surname * Ady Berber (1913–196 ...

heritage, to protect her identity. As part of her effort to disseminate information, she contacted news organizations such as

Al Jazeera Al Jazeera ( ar, الجزيرة, translit-std=DIN, translit=al-jazīrah, , "The Island") is a state-owned Arabic-language international radio and TV broadcaster of Qatar. It is based in Doha and operated by the media conglomerate Al Jazeera ...

. She also fought for women's rights in Libya. She received a 2012

International Women of Courage The International Women of Courage Award, also referred to as the U.S. Secretary of State's International Women of Courage Award, is an American award presented annually by the United States Department of State to women around the world who have ...

award. Elhebshi was one of ten honorees in 2012 who were honored at an awards ceremony U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C. featuring Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and First Lady Michelle Obama. The award recipients also embarked on a three-week tour of the United States sharing stories about their activism. The tour included stops in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Bozeman, Montana; Cincinnati, Ohio; East Lansing, Michigan; Indianapolis, Indiana; Jackson, Wyoming; Kansas City, Missouri; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Pensacola, Florida; St. Louis, Missouri; Salt Lake City, Utah; and Seattle, Washington.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Elhebshi, Hana Living people Libyan women Libyan women architects Year of birth missing (living people) 21st-century Libyan women Recipients of the International Women of Courage Award