Princess Sarah Zeid (born Sarah Antonia Butler on 1 August 1972) is a Jordanian-American humanitarian and maternal and newborn health activist. Through her marriage to Prince Zeid bin Ra'ad al-Hussein, she is a Jordanian princess and a member of the House of Hashem. Her husband is the heir apparent to the

pretender A pretender is someone who claims to be the rightful ruler of a country although not recognized as such by the current government. The term is often used to suggest that a claim is not legitimate.Curley Jr., Walter J. P. ''Monarchs-in-Waiting'' ...

of the abolished throne of Iraq.

Early life and education

Princess Sarah was born as Sarah Antonia Butler on 1 August 1972 in Houston, Texas to Dr. Godfrey Phillip Butler, a British

petroleum geologist A petroleum geologist is an earth scientist who works in the field of petroleum geology, which involves all aspects of oil discovery and production. Petroleum geologists are usually linked to the actual discovery of oil and the identification of ...

and consultant to international oil companies, and Jean Hamilton Butler. She was educated at

Hurtwood House Hurtwood House is a 15–19 mixed, independent boarding school and sixth form in, Surrey, England. Synopsis Founded in 1970 by Richard Jackson, the main house is an Edwardian mansion set in in the Surrey Hills. The intern students, aged 1 ...

in Surrey, England. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in international relations from the

University of St. Thomas St. Thomas University or University of St. Thomas may refer to: *Saint Thomas Aquinas University, Colombia *Saint Thomas Aquinas University of the North, Tucumán province, Argentina *St. Thomas University (Canada), Fredericton, New Brunswick *St. ...

and a master's degree in development studies from the

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degree ...

School of Oriental and African Studies SOAS University of London (; the School of Oriental and African Studies) is a public research university in London, England, and a member institution of the federal University of London. Founded in 1916, SOAS is located in the Bloomsbury a ...

Career

Princess Sarah is a global health advocate whose work focuses on maternal and newborn health. She has worked in the

United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations The Department of Peace Operations (DPO) (French: ''Département des opérations de maintien de la paix'') is a department of the United Nations charged with the planning, preparation, management and direction of UN peacekeeping operations. Pre ...

and served as the Desk Officer for Iraq in the Office Emergency Programmes at

UNICEF UNICEF (), originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to ...

. She has been a contributor to

Peace TV Peace TV is a non-profit Emirati satellite television network that broadcasts free-to-air programming. It is one of the world's largest religious satellite television networks. On 21 January 2006, Zakir Naik created the network, which is based ...

. She is a

steering committee A committee or commission is a body of one or more persons subordinate to a deliberative assembly. A committee is not itself considered to be a form of assembly. Usually, the assembly sends matters into a committee as a way to explore them more ...

member of the Every Newborn Action Plan and partners with

PATH A path is a route for physical travel – see Trail. Path or PATH may also refer to: Physical paths of different types * Bicycle path * Bridle path, used by people on horseback * Course (navigation), the intended path of a vehicle * Desire p ...

to promote the recommendations made by the

United Nations Commission for Lifesaving Commodities for Women and Children The UN Commission on Life-Saving Commodities for Women and Children (UNCoLSC) was set up as part of the United Nations Secretary-General's ''Every Woman, Every Child'' programme. It is premised on the projection that a strong worldwide interventio ...

. She is a patron for the

White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

and an advisory board member for the Women's Rights Division at

Human Rights Watch Human Rights Watch (HRW) is an international non-governmental organization, headquartered in New York City, that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. The group pressures governments, policy makers, companies, and individual human r ...

. Princess Sarah is the founder and co-chair, along with Kate Gilmore, of Every Woman Every Child EveryWhere which, as the EWEC Strategy and Global Goals are implemented, focuses on the prioritization of and innovation for reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health in humanitarian and fragile settings. She is a board member of the

Women's Refugee Commission The Women's Refugee Commission is a 501(c)(3) Non-Governmental Organization that aims to improve the lives and protect the rights of Women, Children, and Youth displaced by conflict or crisis. Established in 1989 by Norwegian Actress and film ...

and a member of the

UNHCR The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is a United Nations agency mandated to aid and protect refugees, forcibly displaced communities, and stateless people, and to assist in their voluntary repatriation, local integrat ...

Advisory Group on Gender, Forced Displacement and Protection. In September 2013 she gave a speech at the Every Woman Every Child reception at the

UN General Assembly The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA or GA; french: link=no, Assemblée générale, AG) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN), serving as the main deliberative, policymaking, and representative organ of the UN. Cur ...

, highlighting the work of Colalife. Princess Sarah participated in a panel discussion hosted by the

United Nations Foundation The United Nations Foundation is a charitable organization headquartered in Washington, DC, that supports the United Nations and its activities. It was established in 1998 with a $1 billion gift to the United Nations by philanthropist Ted Turner, ...

and McCann at the 2015 Lions Health Festival in

Cannes Cannes ( , , ; oc, Canas) is a city located on the French Riviera. It is a commune located in the Alpes-Maritimes department, and host city of the annual Cannes Film Festival, Midem, and Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. T ...

. She also visited hospitals in

Nadi Nadi (pronounced ) is the third-largest conurbation in Fiji. It is located on the western side of the main island of Viti Levu, and had a population of 42,284 at the most recent census, in 2007. A 2012 estimate showed that the population had ...

and Lautoka while on a trip to Fiji on behalf of EWEC. During her tour of Fiji she addressed the Pacific Technical Experts and Ministerial Consultation on Strengthening Climate Change through Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health at the

Sofitel Sofitel Hotels & Resorts are a French hotel chain of luxury hotels based in Paris, France, and owned by Accor since 1980. Founded in 1964 in France, Sofitel quickly developed worldwide to reach more than 200 properties. In 2008, Sofitel became ...

Resort and Spa in Nadi. In October 2015 she promoted the adoption of the 2030 Global Goals, a sustainable development agenda by the United Nations. In October 2016 Princess Sarah visited the Kigali Genocide Memorial as a

Goodwill ambassador Goodwill ambassador is a post-nominal honorific title, a professional occupation and/or authoritative designation that is assigned to a person who advocates for a specific cause or global issue on the basis of their notability such as a publ ...

of the

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is a United Nations agency mandated to aid and protect refugees, forcibly displaced communities, and stateless people, and to assist in their voluntary repatriation, local integrati ...

to honor the victims of the 1994

Rwandan genocide The Rwandan genocide occurred between 7 April and 15 July 1994 during the Rwandan Civil War. During this period of around 100 days, members of the Tutsi minority ethnic group, as well as some moderate Hutu and Twa, were killed by armed Hutu ...

against the

Tutsi The Tutsi (), or Abatutsi (), are an ethnic group of the African Great Lakes region. They are a Bantu-speaking ethnic group and the second largest of three main ethnic groups in Rwanda and Burundi (the other two being the largest Bantu ethnic grou ...

. Afterward she visited the

Burundi Burundi (, ), officially the Republic of Burundi ( rn, Repuburika y’Uburundi ; Swahili language, Swahili: ''Jamuhuri ya Burundi''; French language, French: ''République du Burundi'' ), is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley at the ...

an refugee camp in

Mahama Mahama is an African given name and surname. People with this name include: Given name *Mahama Awal, Cameroonian footballer *Mahama Ayariga, Ghanaian politician * Mahama Sawadogo, Burkinabé politician * Mahama Johnson Traoré, Senegalese film dire ...

Kirehe District Kirehe is a district (''akarere'') in Eastern Province, Rwanda. Its capital is Kirehe town (which is usually known as Rusumo, being the major settlement of the former Rusumo district). Geography The district comprises areas in the far south-e ...

and gave a speech. Following her visit she was part of a consultation between the government of Rwanda and the UNHCR regarding the status of Burundian refugees. In September 2017 Princess Sarah was the keynote speaker at an event hosted by the

Human Rights Council The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), CDH is a United Nations body whose mission is to promote and protect human rights around the world. The Council has 47 members elected for staggered three-year terms on a regional group basis. ...

Geneva Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaki ...

focusing on the provision of sexual reproductive health services in conflict and post-conflict situations. She spoke of her role as the lead for the humanitarian work-stream of the Global Strategy for Women's, Children's and Adolescents’ Health and how to empower women and children. In November 2017 she delivered the keynote at ''Nutrition: Cornerstone of Gender Equality'', a conference in

Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...

, Canada on nutrition's role in achieving gender equality. In her keynote speech she acknowledged how the implementation of the Feminist International Assistance Policy has contributed to Canada's position on the national stage regarding women's and girl's rights. During her Canadian visit she also attended a parliamentary gathering hosted by

Pam Damoff Pamela Damoff (born March 13) is a Canadian Liberal politician, who was elected to represent the riding of Oakville North—Burlington in the House of Commons of Canada in the 2015 federal election. Personal history Born in London, Ontario ...

, organized with Results Canada and Nutrition International. On 24 October 2017 Princess Sarah attended The Center for Reproductive Rights' 25th anniversary celebration in New York City. On 4 December 2017 Princess Sarah did a two-day tour in

Juba Juba () is the capital and largest city of South Sudan. The city is situated on the White Nile and also serves as the capital of the Central Equatoria State. It is the world's newest capital city to be elevated as such, and had a populatio ...

South Sudan South Sudan (; din, Paguot Thudän), officially the Republic of South Sudan ( din, Paankɔc Cuëny Thudän), is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia, Sudan, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the C ...

. While in Juba she visited several refugee camps, an orphanage of the NGO ''Children out of Conflict'', and the Protection of Civilians Site 3, a site for internationally displaced people. In 2018 Princess Sarah became a program ambassador for

Women Deliver Women Deliver is a global advocacy organization that works to generate political commitment and financial investment for fulfilling Millennium Development Goal 5, which is improving maternal health. This is a multifactorial approach, involving acce ...

, a global advocacy group. In June 2018 Princess Sarah conducted a three-day visit to

where she met with the First Lady of Burundi, top government officials, and partners with the

World Food Programme The World Food Programme; it, Programma alimentare mondiale; es, Programa Mundial de Alimentos; ar, برنامج الأغذية العالمي, translit=barnamaj al'aghdhiat alealami; russian: Всемирная продовольствен� ...

Personal life and views

She married U.N. Commissioner on Human Rights Prince Zeid bin Ra’ad Zeid al-Hussein, a Jordanian prince and claimant to the throne of Iraq as a descendant of

King Faisal II Faisal II ( ar, الملك فيصل الثاني ''el-Melik Faysal es-Sânî'') (2 May 1935 – 14 July 1958) was the last King of Iraq. He reigned from 4 April 1939 until July 1958, when he was killed during the 14 July Revolution. This regici ...

, on 5 July 2000 in

Amman Amman (; ar, عَمَّان, ' ; Ammonite language, Ammonite: 𐤓𐤁𐤕 𐤏𐤌𐤍 ''Rabat ʻAmān'') is the capital and largest city of Jordan, and the country's economic, political, and cultural center. With a population of 4,061,150 a ...

. As a pretender of the Iraqi throne, her husband claims the title of Crown Prince of Iraq. Princess Sarah and Prince Zeid bin Ra’ad Zeid al-Hussein have three children. After the birth of her third child, Princess Azziza, Princess Sarah suffered an

amniotic fluid embolism An amniotic fluid embolism (AFE) is a very uncommon childbirth ( obstetric) emergency in which amniotic fluid enters the blood stream of the mother, triggering a serious reaction, which results in cardiorespiratory (heart and lung) collapse and ...

. She had little chance of survival, but recovered. Princess Sarah has stated that her passion for health advocacy comes from her personal experience as a mother. In May 2014 Princess Sarah spoke in support of a woman's right to an abortion, stating that if women are ostracized for their reproductive health choices then the causes of unwanted pregnancies will not be understood, and that misinformation and lack of resources can relate to unsafe abortions. She also spoke out against the Syrian conflict and the health crisis it has caused.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Sarah Zeid of Jordan, Princess Living people 1972 births American birth control activists American women's rights activists American people of British descent House of Hashim Iraqi princesses Jordanian princesses Princesses by marriage People educated at Hurtwood House People from Houston Alumni of SOAS University of London University of St. Thomas (Texas) alumni UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadors Women humanitarians