The world has not really been a friendly place for women looking to make a mark. Patriarchy prevails almost everywhere and even nations that are considered to be leading the race in gender equality have still a long way to go. But if history has taught us anything, it’s that women despite odds stacked against them still manage to make their mark. We have seen great women leaders, particularly in recent times, in all fields, be it politics, science, technology, business, entertainment, or sports. Among these are names that include the likes of Jacinda Ardern, Malala Yousufzai, Rihanna, Serena and Venus Williams, and Angela Merkel. While these are all highly prominent names, there are some who haven’t yet got the media attention but have something in common with all these trailblazers. One such name is Israa Hiles.
Born to Palestinian parents in the UAE, Hilles was a teenager when she moved back to Palestine. Her family lived in the highly contentious “Gaza strip” and she saw unimaginable horrors. “I was 18 when we moved to Palestine. Living through three wars at my age scars you beyond imagination. I was strong enough to not let all that get the better of me and was lucky enough to be provided the opportunity to get away from it keeping my sanity intact.” said Hilles when asked about her life in a war-stricken region.
Before embarking on her entrepreneurial journey, Israa did a degree in Egypt and worked in management in Jordan. Her lucky break did come in Palestine where she worked for DAI-USAID which she grabbed with both hands. Her excellence allowed her to join an international entrepreneurial training program in the US and from thereon, she never really looked back. After completing her training, Hilles moved further north to Canada.
Canada is a country that has a relatively better reputation with regard to opportunities for women but as we said earlier, it still has a long way to go. Arriving in Quebec with zero knowledge of French, an Arab woman with not much exposure to things in the west, Israa was probably at the bottom of the food chain. But proving stereotypes wrong had been her mojo for her entire life and that’s what she did again. After countless rejections and an unending struggle to find a job, she took a leap of faith.
Hilles set up Escritoire, a co-working space that provides budding entrepreneurs an ecosystem to run their business. Without any racial or gender bias in its operations, Escritoire has paved the way for numerous entrepreneurs over the years. Her willingness to succeed and make her mark has made her an inspiration for millions of women around the globe. Her journey gives us the lesson that when life offers you a glimmer of hope you can use it to pull your weight and become an example regardless of how bad the odds are stacked against you.
Her success, over the years, has led her to win multiple awards including Woman Entreprenuer of the Year 2015, OSEntreprendre Challenge Award, Futurpreneur Canadian Entrepreneur of the Year Award (2018) and has also featured among the Top 25 Canadian Immigrants 2020 list – but most of all, her greatest achievement, without a doubt, has been how she has helped women to dream big. She has enabled them to realize that they can walk toe to toe with the men and can be leaders and that there is no mountain big enough that they can’t conquer it.
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