Women of MENA — Spotlights: Maha Jouini on Decolonizing AI, Tech Equity & Responsible Innovation

In this episode of Women of MENA — Spotlights, we feature Maha Jouini, Founder of CHIFAA AI, AI governance expert, and recipient of the 2025/26 She Shapes AI Global Award for Thought Leadership in AI. Maha’s work sits at the intersection of responsible AI, data sovereignty, gender equity, human rights, and public-interest technology across Africa and the MENA region. From her earlier work with the African Union to her current roles in AI governance and institutional policy, she has built a career focused on making technology more accountable, inclusive, and grounded in the realities of the communities it serves. At the centre of that work is CHIFAA AI, a survivor-led initiative developing culturally and linguistically grounded AI solutions for women affected by breast and cervical cancer across North Africa. This episode explores what responsible AI looks like when African, Arab, and Muslim perspectives are not treated as an afterthought, but as essential to how technology is designed and governed. We discuss decolonizing AI, Safety-by-Design, technology-facilitated gender-based violence, culturally grounded health innovation, and the role of lived experience in shaping better systems. A conversation about technology, power, representation, and who gets to define the future.