Reclaiming the truth: Meet Elissa Freiha of Womena

In a world where narratives shape realities, Elissa Freiha has dedicated herself to rewriting the script for women in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

As the founder of Womena, Freiha has transformed a simple investment initiative into a revolutionary storytelling platform that amplifies women’s voices, challenges stereotypes, and sparks meaningful conversations.

From Investment to Influence: The Evolution of Womena

Womena began as an investment platform, with the goal of bringing more women into the venture capital space. “I naively thought that money dictated everything in this society—that if we could direct more funding from and towards women, the system would correct itself,” Freiha recalls.

But over time, she realized that money follows the stories we tell. “If we want real change, we have to shift narratives, reframe who we see as powerful, and amplify voices that are too often sidelined. The narratives we push define where resources and opportunities land.”

This realization led Womena to evolve into a feminist storytelling platform, using media to challenge outdated perspectives and redefine women’s roles. “Stories aren’t just entertainment; they’re blueprints for the world we want to live in,” she emphasizes.

The Challenge of Feminist Storytelling in MENA

The media landscape in MENA has not been particularly welcoming to feminist narratives. Freiha acknowledges the balancing act required to navigate censorship and corporate hesitations. “The media industry in MENA isn’t exactly rolling out the red carpet for feminist storytelling,” she says.

One of the major challenges has been working with brands that claim to support women’s stories but only in the “safest, most surface-level way.” This has made monetizing Womena’s content particularly difficult. “Post-COVID budget cuts and the rise of influencer marketing mean brands expect high-impact content for a fraction of what they’d pay an influencer for a quick reel,” she explains.

Despite these obstacles, Freiha sees the impact of Womena’s work as undeniable. “We’ve made award-winning films, launched conversations that people were too afraid to have, and created a space where women’s stories are told by women, for women—without compromise. That’s the win.”

And the numbers reflect this success. 85% of Womena’s audience report that its content has positively influenced their lives. “Those are my milestones that make it all worth it,” she says proudly.

Why Storytelling is a Tool for Empowerment

For Freiha, storytelling is not just a tool—it is a form of revolutionary action. “Because you can’t fight for what you can’t imagine. You cannot be what you can’t see,” she asserts.

She critiques the traditional portrayals of women in media: “If all we see in media are women as side characters, victims, rivals, or ‘strong female leads’ written by men who think one personality trait is enough—how can we expect the world to be different?”

Womena’s mission is to reclaim space and shift perspectives. “For too long, women in this region have been spoken for, reduced to silent, censored stereotypes. Our identities have been defined for us, and worse, we’ve been taught to believe those definitions,” she explains.

The solution? Owning and telling our own stories. “The first step to breaking free isn’t just changing the stories we tell—it’s remembering the ones that were erased. We come from a lineage of rule-breakers, visionaries, and game-changers. It’s time we reclaim that truth.”

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