[6] As a social entrepreneur, she worked in Africa with young talent and as an international trainer and speaker on women's participation, leadership, security and inclusion.

Samira Rafaela met President Barack Obama in 2019 when she was selected for his Townhall meeting in Berlin with 300 young leaders from Europe.

[9] In 2019, Rafaela delivered the prestigious Martin Luther King speech at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, where she spoke about the role of activists and politicians in society.

[15] In 2024, Samira Rafaela was shortlisted and nominated for the Youth Champion of the Mandate Awards for her work on eliminating inequalities, fostering sustainable trade policies, and promoting an inclusive labour market.

She stated that anti-rights movements and the continuous misuse of EU public funds by anti-democratic actors are sometimes linked to foreign interference and are becoming increasingly common in institutions.

[28][29] In 2023, Rafaela – together with Malin Björk and Evin Incir – alleged in a letter to the President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola that their fellow MEPs Anders Vistisen, Isabella Adinolfi and Cristian Terheș breached Parliament's rules on offensive language during a debate on the ratification of the 2011 Istanbul convention against gender-based violence and urged Metsola to investigate.

[31] Rafaela served as the Renew Europe Rapporteur for the EU Women on Boards Directive, where she introduced a ‘faming list’ to give positive recognition to companies promoting gender equality.

[32] Rafaela also addressed the issue of the ‘pink tax’, urging the European Commission to amend EU legislation to prevent women and girls from paying more than men for the same products.

[35] In 2024, Rafaela launched the initiative Let’s Talk About Our Bodies and presented a manifesto to EU Commissioner Helena Dalli, advocating for increased research and development in women's health.

[36] In 2022, Rafaela spoke publicly about her personal experiences with menstrual health and fibroids, highlighting the need for greater awareness among women and the medical community.

[38] In 2023, Samira Rafaela received a positive recommendation from an internal D66 committee, which included senior party leaders such as Sigrid Kaag, the current UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Gaza.