HISTORY

In 2008, Samira Harnish founded Women of the World. While still a senior engineer at a technology company, Samira began helping displaced women from around the globe adapt to their new lives here in the US by providing interpretation, providing advice, and directing them to local resources.

 

Recognizing the ongoing need for support within this community, she sacrificed her professional career to start her own nonprofit. From these humble beginnings—her Honda Pilot serving as her first office—Samira personally visited women in their homes, spending hours talking with them and showing that someone genuinely cared.

 

From these early efforts, Women of the World has grown into a leading organization, empowering forcibly displaced women in the Salt Lake area. Because of her tireless efforts and visionary leadership, both Samira and WoW have earned recognition locally, nationally, and internationally.