Dr. Haifaa Younis is an Iraqi born American Board Certified Obstetrician and Gynecologist. She is the founder and chairman of the Jannah Institute, which is an organization that deals with the issue of educating women in Islam. Dr. Younis studied Islam under different teachers in the United States and graduated in the Mecca Institute of Islamic Studies and Al-Huda Qur’an Memorization School in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia where she was able to memorize the Quran. She conducts seminars on thematical commentaries of different chapters of the Quran with an accent on their applicability to everyday life. Moreover, Dr. Younis provides retreats that deal with the incorporation of the inner spirit of Islam and outer practice.
Short BIO of Dr Haifaa Younis
Full Name: Dr. Haifaa Younis
Education: Medical degree and Islamic studies (exact institutions not specified)
Profession: Medical doctor and Islamic scholar
Religion: Islam (Sunni)
Hobbies: Teaching, spiritual development, Quranic studies
Nationality: Likely American or Middle Eastern origin (not confirmed)
Founder of: Jannah Institute
Channel: Regularly teaches through online platforms, including YouTube
Other Activities: Focuses on women’s Islamic education, Quranic memorization, and self-development
Dr Haifaa Younis’s age
According to available information, Dr. Haifaa Younis is 65 years old. Sharecare
Dr Haifaa Younis’s Biography
Dr Haifaa Younis: Haifaa Younis is a leading campaigner of women representation in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). Her work is characterized by an interest in tackling the gender imbalance that continues to exist in these fields, where women, especially women of colour, experience a lot of challenges. The advocacy of Younis is based on personal experience and her work which demonstrates the importance of mentorship, community support and cultural aspects to influence the educational experience of women in STEM. She does not just want to empower people, but also to bring about change in the system to ensure that the generations of female scientists and engineers will have inclusive environments.
Younis has been very active in the course of her career in initiatives aimed at inspiring and mentoring young women in STEM. She highlights the relevance of role models and supportive networks, and states that the two can be key to the success and perseverance of women in technical disciplines. Her engagement deals with the special circumstances women of color are presented with, as she tries to make diversity and inclusion be intrinsic elements of the discourse about STEM education and career prospects. Besides her advocacy, Younis has also worked on scholarly research that investigates gender dynamics in the field of engineering and STEM fields.
Her text shows that community objectives and support networks can be used to motivate women to remain in these areas, and the need to promote a sense of belonging in female students. Addressing these problems, Younis does not only raise awareness about the obstacles that are there but also advances the ways of their elimination, which proves that she is eager to do everything to provide people with equal opportunities. The successes and initiatives of Haifaa Younis are worthy in the realm of current debates on gender inequality in STEM. The multiple awards she received speak volumes to her contribution to a field where women are traditionally underrepresented and act as the role model to younger generations and support the idea that anyone can excel in the STEM fields irrespective of gender and background.
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When you put Allah ﷻ first, you’ll find peace in His provision.
Prefer something over Him—and you’ll be betrayed by it.
Break free.
Trust Him alone.
Prioritize your relationship with Allah ﷻ above all else.— Dr. Sh. Haifaa Younis (@DrHaifaaYounis) May 15, 2025
Early Life and Education
Haifaa Younis had a significant impact on her early life experiences, especially her school experiences and family, which have been instrumental in her inclination towards STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) disciplines. A large number of students such as Younis said that they aspired to have STEM careers at an early age and that the family encouraged and gave positive reinforcement to the ambitions at a young age. This support system is crucial, because studies reveal that family involvement is a crucial factor in increasing STEM engagement among students and developing social and cultural capital to achieve academic success.
Although the family encouraged her, Younis did not have an easy time on her way. Similar to other women in STEM, she experienced obstacles in her learning setting, such as being discouraged by teachers on several occasions that may have diminished her self-esteem in studying STEM disciplines. This kind of experience underscores the adverse effects of unconducive learning environments on the aspirations of young women with some stories illustrating how the respondents recalled how they had been informed that they could not achieve success in such subjects as mathematics.
Such experiences underscore the importance of educational institutions to establish positive and nonjudgment environments because initial schooling experiences play an important role in the paths of students in STEMM. The early exposure to STEM-related media by Younis also helped her to develop her identity in the areas and this also enabled her to become interested in STEM. Nonetheless, the portrayal of different role models in these media is still very small, and most of shows and movies emphasize on Caucasian and male role models. The need to make women and minorities more visible in STEM via multiple media outlets highlights the significance of making them feel acknowledged and empowered to join the field by future generations.
Career
Haifaa Younis has had a varied and influential career in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). In her career, she has been able to add her voice to the ongoing debate on how women are represented in STEM and has participated in different programs focused on assisting female students and professionals in these areas.
Contributions to STEM Education
Younis has been an active participant in programs that aim at motivating female students towards STEM careers. Her work tends to emphasize the value of mentorship and community support and that good female role models can help young women to persist in these areas. There is evidence that peer mentorship can increase the confidence and sense of belonging of women in STEM, and thus positive networks can be essential to their success.
Founding of Jannah Institute
In 2013, Dr. Younis founded Jannah Institute, a site that is meant to deliver genuine Islamic education to mostly women. The institute has a range of programs such as:
- Quran memorization and Tafsir.
- Spiritual development classes (Tazkiyah)
- Prophetic character and personal development workshops.
- Arabic grammar and language.
The mission of this institute is to make Muslims especially women closer to Allah with structured learning. Jannah Institute adopts a hybrid approach to learning by blending online and real-world learning and making their services available to learners around the world.
Jannah Institute also partners with mosques, Islamic centers, and foreign organizations to expand its influence. The atmosphere Dr. Younis has created is that of encouragement, discipline and true seeking of knowledge.
Advocacy for Diversity and Inclusion
Younis has also championed diversity in the STEM workforce. She has been a part of the debate on the obstacles affecting women of color in technical domains, observing that most of the diversity initiatives tend to neglect the needs of Black women. Her inclusivity is a sign of her larger theory of the intricacies of gender and racial relations in STEM fields.
Research on Gender Dynamics in STEM
Her scholarly activity has involved working on the perceptions of engineering among first-year students where she has been able to study identity formation as pertains to gender. This piece of work goes in tandem with some findings that emphasize the importance of the communal goals, which at times are disregarded in favour of technical professions. The work of Younis is in line with other studies that say that a sense of community can motivate women to join and stay in STEM disciplines.
Read more: Yasmin Mogahed | Influential Islamic Scholar 2025
Personal Life
Haifaa Younis has frequently been inspired by her personal experiences and support networks that have helped make her way in STEM. She credits much of her tenacity to the friendship and support that she received among her peers through her studies. Younis is of the opinion that seeing the academic success of friends who have gone through the same journey in engineering provided her with a feeling of collective ability and stamina, encouraging her to continue through adversity. She explained that she has many friends in her cohort; that good support system and the fact that she can study together has been of assistance to her. Younis shows the significance of family support in her life, which has been a pillar in her academic life. Her parents always told her to relax and focus on her health rather than the schooling stresses.
They told her that not being at the same pace with everyone will not affect you, which were a motivator in challenging situations. This family support in the form of emotional support would enable her to have a positive attitude and thus, see the challenges as a learning experience. Younis has also stated that it is important to establish relationships beyond her own academic setting. She also encourages the importance of becoming part of clubs and organizations that can be both academically and socially rewarding. She says it is essential to involve oneself in such activities to have a supportive group and receive guidance on more experienced peers. Except during classes, she said, there is plenty to participate in… it is good to become acquainted with your classmates. Her story in STEM is a representative of a larger story of empowerment and persistence as she is an active promoter of younger students to never give up on their endeavors despite the obstacles they might encounter. The experiences of Younis underscore the importance of community, family, and personal passion to influence the educational experiences of women in STEM.
Awards and Recognition
As one with a long and distinguished career, Haifaa Younis has contributed to the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) heavily, receiving different awards in the field. Although it is evident that women are underrepresented in STEM awards, Younis is one of the well-known recipients in this context.
Gender Inequalities in STEM Awards
Even though the women getting STEM awards are increasing, disparities are still evident. It should be pointed out that the proportion of females among the winners of 13 major awards of the STEM society was only 17 percent, in contrast to the number of 38 percent females among junior faculty and 27 percent females among senior faculty in STEM subjects. Of particular interest is the fact that there are gross gender disparities in the highly coveted awards: of the National Medal of Science awardees, 12 percent of Nobel Prizes in Medicine and 1 percent of Nobel Prizes in Physics is a woman.
Women in Early-Career Awards
Younis has also been referred to by her peers based on her early-career achievements, which has earned her awards with a similar gender composition to junior faculty. An example is that she was nominated to the Presidential Early Career Award in Scientists and Engineers, of which 38 per cent of the nominees were women. Still, even in the category of early-career awards, gender differences are still evident, as only 19% of the winners of the Society of Neuroscience Young Investigator Award are women.
Impact on Community and Mentorship
In addition to her accolades, Younis adds the worth of mentoring and community to female STEM practitioners. Studies have also found out that support networks enhanced a sense of belonging particularly in women who are in male dominated careers. Younis has participated in activities of empowering underrepresented women of color in STEM, such as the EAGER award program, which sheds light on the achievements and obstacles such innovators have had to face.
Celebration of Achievements
Younis recognition is not only a way of celebrating her work, but also an encouragement to inspire the next generation to take up STEM. Honoring the accomplishments of women such as Younis is a key to overcome the gender gap that still exists in the world of science and to create a more inclusive society in which everyone can succeed.
Legacy
Haifaa Younis has contributed a lot towards encouraging women to take part in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine(STEMM) disciplines. She has been a firm supporter of the need to tackle the gender imbalance that continues to exist in these fields, whereby women are underrepresented and have to deal with distinct issues. Younis stresses the need to create inclusive learning spaces that empower every voice and especially women voices so they can actively participate and engage in academic discourse.
Her projects have emphasized the transformational nature of role models and the need to establish safe and supportive environments to women in STEMM. Through honoring the success of woman pioneers, Younis hopes to encourage the upcoming generation to become STEMM professionals to show them that they can conquer every obstacle and excel in their fields despite their gender. Also, her work promotes the necessity of learning various experiences of women, including women of marginalized communities, who tend to experience various overlapping obstacles in these areas.
Younis has been a part of an increasing momentum that aims at amplifying women voices and experiences in STEMM due to her leadership and the initiatives she has endorsed. Her work is not only focused on empowering individual women but also on systemic transformation of both education and professional settings that focus on the well-being and achievement of women.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: Where does Dr. Haifaa Younis live now?
Answer: She resides in the United States, traveling internationally for lectures and educational events.
Q2: Can men attend Jannah Institute courses?
Answer: Yes, while the institute focuses on women, certain courses and events are open to men.
Q3: How can I study with Dr. Haifaa Younis?
Answer: Enroll via jannahinstitute.org and follow her social media for updates on classes and events.
Q4: Is Dr. Younis affiliated with a particular Islamic school of thought?
Answer: She teaches from mainstream Sunni scholarship, respecting all four major madhabs (Hanafi, Shafi’i, Maliki, Hanbali).
Q5: Does she still practice medicine?
Anser: While she is a licensed medical doctor, she has shifted her full-time focus to Islamic education and outreach.
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References
[1]: Factors influencing participation of underrepresented students in STEM …
[2]: Empowering Undergraduate Women in Science, Technology, Engineering …
[3]: Women in Engineering: A Review of the 2020 Literature
[4]: Women in STEM: Perceptions Vs. Realities – Society of Women Engineers
[5]: “Dear future woman of STEM”: letters of advice from women in STEM
[6]: Gender in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics: Issues …
[7]: Supporting Women and Girls in STEM – Broadening Participation in STEM …
[8]: EMPOWERING WOMEN IN STEM: A COMPREHENSIVE EXPLORATION
[9]: Recognizing and empowering women in STEM | Stanford Repor
