10. From silence to systems change: Reem Elsayed on power, gender and who gets care

What began as quiet observations in overcrowded clinics became a lifelong commitment to transforming health systems. In this deeply reflective conversation, Mandela Rhodes alum Reem Elsayed, a PhD student at Oxford University, traces her journey from community pharmacist to health systems researcher. She reveals how personal experience, courage and values-based leadership can help drive meaningful structural change for women across North Africa. Through reflections on power, access and equity, Reem explores what it means to lead with both empathy and conviction in spaces where care is often unevenly distributed.