Making the impossible visible has been Safina’s life’s work. For two decades, he has searched for girls in India’s most forgotten villages with names like Maafi (Forgive me for being a girl) and Missed Call (We asked God for a boy, but he missed the call).

Even before I met Safina Hussain, I knew I would love her.

As a mother of three girls – engineers, athletes, dreamers – I feel a deep gratitude for the women who made those futures possible. and Safina Hussain, founder of Educate Girls, are with the fighters.

We met at the Jaipur Literature Festival earlier this year. Safina sitting in front of me is looking beautiful in teal blue silk saree and long navy coat. She smiled when she saw me holding Every Last Girl, the book she was about to launch.

The book is full of heart-wrenching stories. But it also offers hope with several strategies to get girls in school. An innovative approach involves staging village plays dramatizing the life and death effects of illiteracy.

Safina speaks with intensity and clarity. We talk about his childhood, the process of writing his book, and the impact of winning the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award. Here are edited excerpts of our conversation.

There used to be a mobile library outside Naoroji Nagar in Delhi which used to come to our neighborhood and I read a lot of books from there.

I read books with all kinds of titles, like The Merchant of Venice, which I later realized was a translation of The Merchant of Venice. I read a lot of things, but I read everything in Hindi.

There was a vegetable market in Saket, and that was a place where comic books were available on rent cheaply, and I read all those comic book digests – whatever I could get my hands on.

Now I’m discovering a lot of female authors – books like The Vegetarian (by Han Kang) and Butter (by Asako Yuzuki). There’s incredible writing, like Bunny (Mona Awad), highly imaginative, and Sally Rooney. I like these young women with fresh voices.

It shocked me, because it was true. We did a lot, but never shared our journey, thoughts or ideas in our own voice. He sowed the seed.

The hardest part was deciding how to write the book and what it should be about. It took time. Then in 2019, after a TED talk, I visited the TED Bookstore in Vancouver and looked at books by TED speakers. That gave me confidence: If I could give a TED talk, maybe I could turn it into a TED book.

Eventually, I realized I wanted to write a human book – one that tells the story and makes the case for girls’ education in a simple, jargon-free way. This is not a sector book or an NGO book. This is truly a book for you, me and everyone else.

I also want the reader to see that this is solvable. This is not disappointing. We have data, algorithms to identify out-of-school girls, and community volunteers who support educating girls like Team Balika, who say, “Every girl in my village should go to school.”

This isn’t just a book about the problem – it’s about finding solutions and taking immediate action while we still can to change the lives of these girls.

Once I had that, I focused on one chapter at a time. Most of it came from my own experiences – work, conversations, observed stories – so once I knew what to include, formatting was surprisingly quick.

I devoted one to two days each week entirely to the book, blocking off the entire day for writing.

Then I was lucky enough to be nominated for the Rockefeller Bellagio Residency in Italy, which gave me an entire month with no family and no dinners to cook—just time to book. I came up with a manuscript in pieces and, in about three weeks, brought it together for my publisher. That residency gave me the focus and closure I needed.

At the same time, if I only told the girls’ stories and never acknowledged my own life experience, it would seem a little dishonest, as if I was an outsider simply observing. So I’ve shared some of my story, but the heart of the book is the girls.

Due to all this, I could not continue my education after 12th. It was a difficult time – everyone around me said: “Marry her, get over it, otherwise what will she do?” I was lost. I also stayed in Krishna Ashram for some time, tried many ways, but to no avail.

Then an aunty stood up for me. I lived in his house for two years and he gave me a lot of love. And then, slowly, I came back to education. I went straight to the London School of Economics. I was 21 years old, and everyone entering was like 18 years old, but I said to myself: It’s okay, I can be a mature student.

I had no money, so I did everything – washing dishes and working on the cash till in vegetarian cafes, restocking books in the library, tutoring, working as a naan and rotis maker in Southall, doing bookkeeping for small businesses – just to survive. That entire journey gave me the strength that I can survive, I can stand.

So when I see girls now – like Halima, whose mother died during Covid, who had to run the household and then, four or five years later, when she wants to come back to education, she suddenly becomes “older” and ineligible – I completely understand that guilt, that shame, that feeling of being left behind. Much of this book actually came from that place.

And now, to be named one of Time’s 16 Women of the Year – what’s that been like?

It feels like our girls are being seen on the global stage.

When TIME reached out for an interview, we had a feeling something was going on, but then nothing was confirmed…we were kept in the dark until the official announcement!

When it came out and I saw that list – Teyana Taylor, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Chloé Zhao, Mel Robbins – I was humbled and, honestly, a little overwhelmed. I went out. The sky of Mumbai was so clear that you could see the stars. I stood there thinking about our girls.

(Sonya Dutta Chaudhary is a Mumbai-based journalist and founder of Sonya’s Book Box, an exclusive book service. Every week, she brings you specially curated books to give you a deeper understanding of people and places. If you have any reading recommendations or reading dilemmas, write to sonyasbookbox@gmail.com. Views expressed are personal)

Last updated:March 16, 2026, 07:18 IST

The metropolis faces a test not only of its security framework, but also of the idea that has defined it for decades – a sanctuary of stability in one of the most volatile neighborhoods

For decades, Dubai has presented itself to the world as the Middle East’s ultimate success story – a city built on stability, security and ambition. A global hub where finance, tourism and aviation meet. A place where immigrants chase opportunity and investors invest billions. In an area often associated with unrest, Dubai Has built his reputation on forecasting. But the shadow of the Iran conflict is now testing that carefully crafted image.

Over the past two weeks, Iran has fired nearly 2,000 drones and missiles toward the United Arab Emirates, according to officials, many of which were aimed at Dubai, the Gulf’s financial and tourism capital. For residents of the city’s glittering skyline, the conflict is no longer distant geopolitics. It’s something they can hear.

CNN International’s Paula Hancox says Dubai has created itself a bubble of security. “…This has become essentially clear when we look at the large number of missiles and drones coming into this country and the Gulf countries. According to the Ministry of Defence, they say they are intercepting more than 90 percent of those fired at the UAE,” Hancox said. He said that in the last fortnight the UAE has been singled out the most for missiles and drones by Iran.

Hancox said, “There are a growing number of countries around the world that are trying to protect the UAE. But essentially, this reputation as a bubble of security in the middle of a tough neighborhood, which the UAE had very carefully constructed, is being damaged.”

Hancox said there were several incidents of collisions around Dubai Airport, which affected operations. “There were holidaymakers here and many in transit. There were a lot of people stuck here wanting to get out. Both Abu Dhabi and Dubai are really trying to allow as many planes to fly as possible and get people away from the area. But the fact is there’s still missile and drone activity happening, so it’s a very impacted program right now,” Hancox said.

across DubaiResidents are receiving regular emergency alerts on their phones, warning that the country’s air defense systems are responding to incoming threats. Officials say the loud sounds echoing in the night sky are those of hostile drones and interceptors destroying missiles in the air.

According to the UAE Defense Ministry, since tensions escalated, the country’s defense systems have included 285 ballistic missiles, 15 cruise missiles and more than 1,567 drones.

Nevertheless, not every projectile has been stopped. Nearly 100 drones and two ballistic missiles have attacked the ground, posing one of the most visible security challenges the UAE has faced in decades. In a city known for its futuristic skyline and luxurious lifestyle, the sounds of the explosions were a disturbing reminder that regional conflict can reach even the most carefully guarded places.

CNN-News18’s Arunima says attempts to target the heart of Dubai with drones have been seen – including the business district. “Drones are worrying people, they are annoying, but people are living their lives. There is a little worry about what will happen next, but there is no panic,” says Arunima. She also describes how her phone was vibrating strongly with alerts from authorities about how security forces were intercepting drones and missiles and that people should take precautions.

Arunima says authorities have forbidden people from recording or filming any attacks or interceptions. “People are now taking these alerts seriously,” he said.

These attacks have had a tragic human cost. Authorities say six people have been killed, including citizens of the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh. More than 141 people were injured, including minor to moderate injuries. These include citizens of India, Egypt, Philippines, Ethiopia and Sri Lanka.

In a country where nearly 90 percent of residents are expatriates, the list of multinational casualties underscores a harsh reality: Dubai’s global workforce is directly exposed to the consequences of regional geopolitics.

Attacks are no longer abstract. Explosions were heard in parts of Dubai, including near the Dubai International Financial Center – the heart of the city’s banking and corporate district. Sometimes smoke has been seen rising into the sky.

Officials confirmed that debris from an intercepted missile hit the facade of a building on Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai’s main commercial artery. Another drone crash caused a small fire at a residential building in Dubai Creek Harbour, forcing authorities to evacuate residents before firefighters could bring the blaze under control.

Two drones were also intercepted near Dubai International Airport, causing minor injuries to three people and one Indian national was slightly injured. Officials say flight operations are continuing as normal, but the symbolism of a drone falling so close to one of the world’s busiest airports has not gone unnoticed.

For Dubai, security is not just a military concern – it is central to the city’s economic model. From banks operating in the Dubai International Financial Center to aviation giants like Emirates and the city’s huge tourism industry, Dubai thrives on the perception that it is untouched by the volatility surrounding the region. That notion is now under pressure.

The broader economic impact of the conflict is already beginning to be seen. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council, the Middle East’s tourism sector is losing at least $600 million in international tourist spending every day due to the ongoing conflict involving Iran. Air travel disruptions, shaken passenger confidence and reduced connectivity are affecting major regional hubs including Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha and Bahrain.

Overall, these hubs typically handle around 5.26 lakh passengers per day. But nearly two weeks of airspace disruption, flight rerouting and operational uncertainty have begun to put pressure on the region’s aviation ecosystem, driving up airfares and forcing airlines to rethink routes. Before the conflict began, the Middle East was expecting about $207 billion in international visitor spending in 2026. Even temporary disruption could translate into massive losses for a region where aviation and tourism are central pillars of the economic strategy.

For Dubai, the stakes are especially high. Tourism contributes significantly to the emirate’s economy, while its airports serve as one of the world’s most important transit hubs linking Asia, Europe and Africa. The city’s global brand – carefully built over three decades – rests on the promise that business can continue uninterrupted, even if the region around it is unstable.

Yet, beyond the missiles and economics, another battle is quietly unfolding: the battle over narrative. Authorities have charged 21 people under cybercrime laws for filming and sharing videos of Iranian missile and drone attacks. The accusers reportedly also include a 60-year-old British tourist. Authorities say spreading such footage could spread panic and undermine public confidence, and have issued a strict advisory warning residents against circulating such material online.

This action shows how sensitive the authorities are to protecting the country’s image during a crisis. For decades, Dubai’s greatest strategic advantage has been its reputation as a safe and stable global hub.

For now, daily life continues in Dubai. Flights are operating, hotels are open and financial markets are functioning. The UAE leadership says its defense systems are successfully blocking most incoming threats and the country is fully prepared to counter any attempts to undermine national security.

But something intangible has shifted. For the first time in years, residents of one of the world’s most futuristic cities are hearing the sound of air defense systems thundering across the night sky.

Dubai’s rise has always been based on resilience. In just a few decades, it transformed from a minor desert trading port to a global metropolis. Now, as the Iran conflict reverberates across the region, the city faces a different kind of test. Not just because of its security infrastructure, but because of the idea that has defined it for decades – a sanctuary of stability in one of the world’s most volatile neighborhoods.

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