Zubaida Bai

Zubaida Bai
Speaking at the World Economic Forum's Growth Summit 2023
Born
Chennai, India
Alma mater
Occupation(s)Social entrepreneur, president and CEO of Grameen Foundation
Website

Zubaida Bai is a social entrepreneur, an expert in the field of health products for the developing world, and the President and CEO of Grameen Foundation. Her company, Ayzh, designs healthcare products for women and girls living in poverty.[1][2][3][4][5][6]

Biography

Bai was raised in Chennai, India.[7] She was the first person in her family to pursue post-secondary education; her female relatives typically married in adolescence.[7] Ms. Bai holds a master's degree in Mechanical Engineering Specializing in Development of Modular Products, and an MBA in Social and Sustainable Enterprises.

Career

Due to unsanitary birth conditions, Bai developed an infection after giving birth to her first child, Yasin.[8] which "caused her to suffer for years."[9] This inspired her to help rural women who needed access to healthcare.[9]

Bai founded the company Ayzh in 2010,[8] with the goal of bringing simplicity, dignity, and access to the poorest women in India via their Clean Birth Kit in a Purse by ensuring a safe and sanitary delivery.[10]

In November 2022, Bai was named president and CEO of Grameen Foundation,[11] an international development nonprofit that works with women and girls to end poverty and hunger.

Awards

Bai was named a TED Fellow in 2009, an Ashoka Maternal Health fellow in 2010–2011, and an Echoing Green fellow in 2012.[12] In 2011, her design for JANMA, a clean birth kit, was selected by INDEX Awards as one of 61 products "globally designed to improve life."[12]

In June 2016, Zubaida was named an SDG Pioneer at the UN's SDG Global Compact Summit for her work.[13][14]

References

  1. ^ "JANMA Clean Birth Kit in a Purse". D-Lab. Retrieved 28 May 2016.
  2. ^ "Zubaida Bai - Global Philanthropy Forum". Global Philanthropy Forum. Retrieved 28 May 2016.
  3. ^ "Ayzh founder Zubaida Bai on the 'birth kits' helping women in rural India have hygienic deliveries". Firstpost. 22 September 2018. Retrieved 2 September 2019.
  4. ^ "Saving mothers' lives: 5 questions with Zubaida Bai". Engineering For Change. 17 March 2016. Retrieved 28 May 2016.
  5. ^ "Chicago Ideas: Zubaida Bai". Chicago Ideas Week. Retrieved 28 May 2016.
  6. ^ "Empowering Women Through a Simple Purse". USAID Impact. Retrieved 28 May 2016.
  7. ^ a b Moses, Nelson Vinod (9 August 2014). "Zubaida Bai | A pack of good health". livemint.com/. Retrieved 28 May 2016.
  8. ^ a b "Women and children first: Fellows Friday with Zubaida Bai, who creates lifesaving kits for maternal health". TED Blog. 16 August 2013. Retrieved 28 May 2016.
  9. ^ a b "Zubaida Bai (India) with Ashoka USA Fellow Rebecca Onie". Ashoka - Innovators for the Public. Retrieved 28 May 2016.
  10. ^ Tavakoli-Far, Nastaran (29 January 2015). "The entrepreneurs helping girls in the developing world". BBC News. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
  11. ^ "Grameen Foundation".
  12. ^ a b "Zubaida Bai | TED Fellow | TED.com". www.ted.com. Retrieved 28 May 2016.
  13. ^ "Indian bags UN honour for corporate sustainability initiative". Business Standard India. Press Trust of India. 24 June 2016. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
  14. ^ "Zubaida Bai". UN Global Compact. Retrieved 7 December 2016.