Based in the capital of Jordan, Abdallat has spent years using art to spark conversations on human rights, tolerance and social change. Through his Free Pen initiative, he leads workshops with young people, especially in communities affected by displacement, helping them express their experiences and hopes through drawing.

From collaborations with UNESCO to counter hate speech, to winning the UN Development Programme (UNDP) Social Entrepreneurship Summit Award in 2021, Abdallat is dedicated to supporting youth engagement in civic life.

UN News spoke with Abdallat about his journey into cartooning, the role of art in crisis settings and why he believes even the smallest drawing can spark a global conversation.

This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.

UN News: What first drew you to cartooning? And what does it mean to you?

Omar Abdallat: I first started drawing as a kid, copying characters from cartoon shows on television and comic books, but it was at university that I realised it could be something more.

I began sketching my professors, then started sharing my cartoons online on websites for Arab cartoonists. It was great for people to see my work, respond to it and get feedback.

Eventually, it became my profession – but more than that, it became a lifestyle.

Cartoons make me think about the people around me, about my society. I sometimes say cartooning is my religion because I believe it makes me a better human being.

UN News: When did you first realise your cartoons could reach people far beyond your own community?

Omar Abdallat: I studied cartoons by myself and what I learnt from other artists is the importance of simplicity. So, I try to draw complex issues as if I was drawing them for children.

When I started sharing my work on Facebook is when it clicked: people from across the world were responding and reacting. That’s when I understood that cartoons are a language everyone understands.

UN News: Could you share about a particular work of yours?

Omar Abdallat: For instance, one of my most recent works is inspired by classical paintings portraying leaders from Europe and other parts of the world.

The scene depicts the wolf, in the image of a ruler, celebrating his dominance over the pen and the sheep, while one of the sheep appears fascinated by the wolf’s charisma.

In countries where there is no genuine transfer of power, the very notion of the homeland becomes distorted. Leadership is reduced to domination and loyalty transforms from a collective principle into blind obedience.

UN News: That’s a very striking image and really reflects your activism, which you’ve developed both through your cartoons and your initiatives. You’ve worked in many different settings, from public spaces to refugee communities and international forums. What spaces do you find most meaningful to work in?

Omar Abdallat: I find my work with children and young people especially meaningful – particularly with those going through challenges. It feels like we’re not just drawing but empowering them through cartoons, to help them believe in their own stories again.

It’s very meaningful to give them this safe space where they can talk about themselves, draw and gain some confidence.

I always begin by telling them the story of cartoons – where it came from, what it means. Then I teach them to draw step by step. Once they have the basics, we start talking about deeper things like their rights, the environment, the way they imagine the future.

My dream is to turn this into a global movement, to bring cartoons to every child that might need it, especially in places like Gaza where being a child can be so hard.

UN News: Do they ever surprise you with their perspectives?

Omar Abdallat: Some kids are very talented. Through their cartoons, you can better understand their culture, their background and sometimes their problems.

They share about racism, poverty and hate speech. In return, I do my best to improve their understanding of these topics.

UN News: Do you see cartoons as a kind of healing?

Omar Abdallat: I believe in cartoons as a lifestyle. It’s the air we breathe. It’s the way we understand things.

When the Charlie Hebdo tragedy happened ten years ago, I remember thinking: we need a humanitarian version of that spirit – a platform that unites rather than divides.

That idea became the seed for something I’m still working on today: a “Cartoon Lab” – a network of academies where children and adults can express themselves safely through art.

UN News: As you’ve explained, cartoons can touch on sensitive topics. Have you ever faced challenges or resistance to your work?

Omar Abdallat: Challenge is my middle name! I used to hide this but now I say it out loud. Some of them are due to the environment of the Middle East, some because of technology.

In the Middle East, you can feel afraid for your life and the life of your children. It’s not easy to be a cartoonist here in general.

UN News: How do you keep your hope alive?

Omar Abdallat: One of the things I learned from my late father who was a doctor is that he never let any patient go until he fought for their life. That’s our duty in life, to help people around us become better.

I want people who see my work to be themselves and to give the best of themselves to the world, to put aside their differences and believe in our common humanity.

When darkness comes around, the sun still rises. Every winter has a spring. It’s part of nature. You just have to hold on long enough to see it.

Children’s exposure to intimate partner violence is highest in Oceania, sub-Saharan Africa, and Central and Southern Asia, reflecting deep regional inequalities and widespread patterns of abuse experienced by women worldwide.

“Today, millions of women and children are living in homes where violence is a part of regular life,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. “Women’s safety and autonomy are paramount to children’s well-being.”

A human rights violation

The analysis comes in the wake of updated UN global estimates on violence against women, published by the World Health Organization (WHO) on behalf of the UN Violence Against Women Inter-Agency Working Group.

These estimates show that more than one in 10 adolescent girls and women aged 15 and older have experienced physical or sexual violence from an intimate partner in the past 12 months.

Violence against women – particularly intimate partner violence and sexual violence – is a major public and clinical health problem and a violation of women’s human rights. It is rooted in and perpetuates gender inequalities.

Globally, one in three women experiences physical and/or sexual violence in her lifetime, mostly by an intimate partner — a stark reminder of the scale of gender inequality and discrimination against women.

Where women and children are most at risk

For the first time, UNICEF’s regional data highlights where women and children are most at risk.

In Oceania, just over half of all children – around three million – live with a mother who has recently experienced intimate partner violence. Sub-Saharan Africa follows at 32 per cent, affecting 187 million children. Central and Southern Asia, while slightly lower at 29 per cent, account for the largest number globally, with 201 million affected children.

Other regional findings include:

• Northern Africa and Western Asia: 26 per cent, or 52 million children
• Eastern and South-Eastern Asia: 21 per cent, or 105 million children
• Latin America and the Caribbean: 19 per cent, or 35 million children
• Europe and Northern America: 13 per cent, or 28 million children
• Australia and New Zealand: 5 per cent, or approximately 400,000 children

Long term consequences

Children living in homes where their mothers experience violence are at heightened risk of both direct and indirect harm, UNICEF warned.

Even if they are not physically abused themselves, witnessing violence can erode trust between children and caregivers, leave deep emotional scars, and cause trauma that often carries into adulthood.

Exposure to intimate partner violence also increases the likelihood that children will experience or perpetuate violence later in life, with long-term consequences for their safety, development, health, and education.

UNICEF is urging governments to take stronger action, calling for integrated strategies that tackle both violence against women and children, backed by support for women- and girl-led organisations.

It emphasises the need for wider access to survivor-centred services, greater investment in prevention – including parenting and school-based programmes – and efforts to challenge harmful social norms while elevating the voices of survivors and young people.