Fatma El Mehdi

[2] El Mehdi is also the first Western Saharan woman to attend a United Nations conference for women's rights.

[3] She has also served as president of the Women's Committee and Equality in Economic, Social and African Cultural Council (ECOSOCC).

[5] She was born in Smara, Es Semara Province, Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra, Western Sahara, previous Morocco in 1969.

[6][7] She walked for days with a small group of men and women without food or water until she came to one of the first Sahrawi refugee camps.

El Mehdi is also the first Western Saharan woman to attend the United Nations conference for women's rights.