Project on Middle East Democracy

Project on Middle East Democracy
The POMED Wire Archives


Category: Women

“Islamic Feminism and Beyond”

November 15th, 2010 by Jason

The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars Middle East Program released a new paper (pdf) today, titled “Islamic Feminism and Beyond: The New Frontier.” The introduction is written by Haleh Esfandiari and Margot Badran, and the paper includes six sections covering a range of topics and countries. The articles include “Feminist Activism for Change in Family Laws and Practices: Lessons from the Egyptian Past for the Global Present” by Margot Badran, “Recent Amendments in the Turkish Civil and Criminal Codes and the Role of Feminist NGOs” by Binnaz Toprak, “Women and the Politics of Reform in Morocco” by Souad Eddouada, “Beyond Islamic Feminism: Women and Representation in Iran’s Democracy Movement” by Nayereh Tohidi, “The Personal Status Code and Women’s Celibacy in Tunisia” by Lilia Labidi, and “Analyzing Reform Successes and Failures: The Personal Status Regime in the Arab World” by Amaney Jamal.


Posted in Civil Society, Democracy Promotion, Egypt, Human Rights, Iran, Morocco, Reform, Tunisia, Turkey, Women | Comment »

Egypt: Quota for Women Increases Participation but Problems Remain

November 11th, 2010 by Evan

The Los Angeles Times’ Babylon and Beyond reports that the recently announced 32-seat parliamentary quota for women has energized female candidates. “‘For years, male members of parliament have objected to the presence of female MPs and women were not allowed any space in parliament. That’s why the quota is a huge step forward,’” Rabha Fathi, head of the Association for Egyptian Female Lawyers (AEFL) told Babylon and Beyond. Not all Egyptian women’s organizations shared Fathi’s enthusiasm. The Egyptian Center for Women’s Rights (ECWR) recently published a report detailing a list of complaints from potential female candidates, including accusations that women vying for National Democratic Party nominations were forced to pay bribes.


Posted in Egypt, Elections, Women | Comment »

POMED Notes: “Paradise Beneath Her Feet: How Women Are Transforming the Middle East”

October 28th, 2010 by Evan

On Wednesday Isobel Coleman, Senior Fellow for U.S. Foreign Policy at the Council on Foreign Relations, presented her new book “Paradise Beneath Her Feet: How Women are Transforming the Middle East” at an event sponsored by the Woodrow Wilson Center’s Middle East and Environmental Change and Security Programs. Haleh Esfandiari, Director of the Woodrow Wilson Center’s Middle East Program, moderated the event.

(To read the full notes, continue below or click here for the pdf.)

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Posted in DC Event Notes, Women | Comment »

Jordan: An Interview With Jordan’s First Woman M.P.

October 27th, 2010 by Jason

Toujan Faisal, the first woman elected to Jordan’s Parliament, was recently interviewed by the Arab Reform Initiative. When asked about her understanding of reform, Faisal answered, “I think that the adoption of the constitution in Jordan in 1952 (i.e. without the amendments subsequently made to it) is the basis of such reform.” She added, “I now think that there is something better: the proportional representation list, and the establishment of an interim government without the power to take major financial decisions, until such time a government with real legitimacy can be formed in the presence of a real parliament.” Faisal was also asked about her views on quotas for female candidates. “I am opposed to all forms of quota, because quotas are in conflict with full equality between citizens […] Women are essentially citizens, and the sole criterion for progress is competence. When society as a whole progresses the situation of women automatically improves.”


Posted in Civil Society, Elections, Freedom, Human Rights, Jordan, Reform, Women | Comment »

Bahrain: Few Women Candidates for Parliament

September 15th, 2010 by Anna

Habib Toumi reported in Gulf News yesterday on concerns about low turnout among women candidates for the quadrennial elections for Bahrain’s lower chamber, which are scheduled to take place on October 23. In spite of hopes by women’s rights activists that more women would seek office this year, only six have registered to run since the registration period opened two days ago. The 2002 and 2006 elections witnessed similarly low turnout from women candidates – in 2002, none of the women candidates in parliamentary and municipal elections won; in 2006, one woman won after running unopposed. Bahrain’s largest political organization, Wa’ad, has nominated Muneera Fakhro, who narrowly lost in a 2006 race. The other three main politico-religious societies – Al Wefaq, Al Asala and the Islamic Menbar – declined to endorse any women. Some party leaders expressed concern that they would face “a negative reaction from conservative constituents” if they ran female candidates. Latifa Al Gaood – the only sitting woman in parliament – has publicly encouraged women to get involved in politics.


Posted in Bahrain, Elections, Political Parties, Women | Comment »

POMED Notes: “Progress and Challenges to Women’s Empowerment: Lessons from Tunisia”

September 8th, 2010 by Anna

The Woodrow Wilson Center hosted an event today focusing on the state of women’s rights and empowerment in Tunisia and elsewhere. It featured Professor Nabiha Gueddana,  President and Director-General of the National Agency for Family and Population, former Secretary of State in charge of Women and Family Affairs, and former chair of “Partners in Population and Development: South-South Initiative.” The event was moderated by Haleh Esfandiari, director of the Middle East Program at the Wilson Center.

POMED’s full notes continue below or read as a pdf.
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Posted in DC Event Notes, Freedom, Human Rights, Tunisia, Women | Comment »

Morocco: Saudi Restrictions on Moroccan Woman an “Insult”

August 30th, 2010 by Anna

Nesrine Malik argues in The Guardian that Saudi Arabia “is failing in its Islamic duties” by banning (Arabic) some Moroccan women from undertaking the umra (the lesser pilgrimage to Mecca). According to Saudi authorities, women “of a certain age” might abuse their travel visas “for other purposes” while abroad. Malik claims that this is meant to reference the sex industry, which is stereotypically staffed by North African women. Suggesting that Moroccan women might use a religious ritual as a guise for engaging in illicit sexual activity is, in Malik’s view, a charge that “summarily insult[s] the [Moroccan] nation.” Rather than using national stereotypes that draw on the perception of Morocco as being morally lax to justify restrictions on some travelers, Malik asserts, the Saudi government should be facilitating pilgrimages to Mecca for all Muslims. Political parties in Morocco have reportedly called on the parliament to intervene.


Posted in Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Women | Comment »

Yemen: For Women, No Confidence in Political Parties

August 19th, 2010 by Jennifer

A study released recently by the Aswan Centre for Social and Legal Studies and Researches in Sana’a found that disenchantment with Yemen’s political parties may be turning women away from greater participation in the electoral system. According to the survey– which polled 500 Yemeni women from across the country –only 18.2% of respondents expressed confidence in Yemen’s political parties, while 17.7% said they believed that the parties view women’s issues merely as propaganda tools. At the same time, the study notes that only 18.7% of key positions among the 4 parties in parliament are held by women; that between 1990 and 2010, the number of seats in the legislature held by women has dropped from 11 to only 1; and that from 1993 to 2003, the number of women competing in parliamentary elections fell from 42 to 11. Respondents to the survey attributed these failures to a variety of factors, including a “lack of societal encouragement for [women] to engage in politics” (14.9%), and the “lack of financial support political parties give women running for office (10%). The study argues that “these findings mean that the relationship of political parties with women from their perspective is based on exploitation in which women issues and their votes are manipulated [by political parties] without a serious and sincere adoption of their concerns,” concluding that “it is necessary to build a bridge of confidence between the political parties and women.”


Posted in Elections, Political Parties, Women, Yemen | Comment »

Egypt: Obstacles for Women Remain

July 13th, 2010 by Farid

The New York Times reports that while the presence of women in the Egyptian workforce has indeed increased, it “has not translated into any fundamental shift in prevailing attitudes toward women in public life.”According to the World Economic Forum’s 2009 Gender Gap Report (read the full report as a pdf), Egypt ranks number 126 out of 134 countries. In the political sphere, Egyptian women currently only occupy 8 out of the 454 parliamentary seats, a decisive reason why a new quota system has been implemented to guarantee 64 seats for women in the upcoming elections. With a very high illiteracy rate amongst Egyptian women, Fayzah el-Tahnawy, a member of the ruling party, “This is why we had to implement the quota system in order to make room for women in politics.”


Posted in Egypt, Reform, Women | Comment »

Arab Reform Bulletin: Upcoming Bahraini Elections Offer Chance for Change

June 3rd, 2010 by Josh

In a piece at the Arab Reform Bulletin, Abdellah al-Derazi — Secretary General of the Bahrain Human Rights Society — takes a look at Bahrain’s forthcoming parliamentary elections this fall to explore the prospects for meaningful political reform. Although the ballot will include a “similar cast of characters,” al-Derazi notes that “a large number of independent candidates, including women and businesspeople, are expected to run,” which would mark a significant shift from the last poll in 2006.

Yet an increase in political participation might only prompt the government to use all the “tools at its disposal” to control the electoral outcome — tools made possible by an election law that, despite the best efforts of opposition groups, has yet to be amended. Given this landscape, al-Derazi believes that the current political establishment, many of whom are Islamists, will continue to dominate, “perhaps with a greater role played by businesspeople, many of whom are liberals.”


Posted in Bahrain, Elections, Reform, Women | Comment »

Obama’s Cairo Speech: Assessing the Relationship Between Rhetoric and Action

June 2nd, 2010 by Josh

Ahead of the one-year anniversary of President Obama’s Cairo address, Scott Carpenter and Dina Guirguis of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy unpack the last twelve months of Middle East engagement with respect to the seven core issues identified in the speech as paramount to U.S.-Muslim relations: the need to confront violent extremism; the Arab-Israeli conflict; Iran’s drive to obtain nuclear weapons; democracy; religious freedom; women’s rights; and economic development.

Overall, Carpenter and Guirguis conclude that “tangible deliverables from the Cairo address were in short supply.” Perhaps recognizing this reality, the administration has spent the last few months “reframing the speech’s intent and legacy” away from “outreach to Muslims” and toward a notion of “global engagement” that articulated a “generational mission statement” rather than a series of initiatives. “In this context,” the authors write, “the issuance of a new National Security Strategy (NSS) just days before the Cairo anniversary is apparently no coincidence.” Yet even though the NSS strengthens what Carpenter and Guirguis view as the speech’s relative deficiencies, “Washington’s strategy remains open to the same critique as the original Cairo address.”


Posted in Democracy Promotion, Diplomacy, Freedom, Human Rights, Iran, Israel, Mideast Peace Plan, Reform, Terrorism, US foreign policy, Women | Comment »

Iran: Surge in Social Crackdowns

June 2nd, 2010 by Josh

According to a Persia House analysis [subscription required], Iranian police, Basij paramilitary forces, and women in black chadors are increasingly engaging in “morality patrols” to harass females who do not adhere to the government’s strict social codes. Persia House notes that this surge appears to signal a sharp u-turn in policy from the last two months, during which the Iranian regime had been “more willing than usual to ignore social infractions—like improper veiling and drinking alcohol—in order to focus their attention on clamping down on political dissent.” Yet regardless of the duration of this current social campaign, “the extent to which the government would attempt to restrain and constrain society will indicate the amount of pressure the hardline clergy is still able to exert on Iranian officials” –  pressure which, if significant, “would suggest that Iran’s conservative clerics have yet to be completely sidelined by the coterie of ‘worldly’ IRGC members currently surrounding President Ahmadinejad.”

In related news, Iranian authorities have reportedly deployed two million Basij militia throughout Tehran in an effort to preempt the upcoming protests that many believe are sure to erupt on June 12 — the anniversary of last year’s disputed presidential election.


Posted in Elections, Freedom, Human Rights, Iran, Military, Women | Comment »

Obama Administration Releases its National Security Strategy

May 27th, 2010 by Chanan

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton unveiled this afternoon the Obama administration’s National Security Strategy (NSS), a 52 pg. report covering a wide range of issues facing the U.S. from the state of the economy to the challenges of domestic terrorism.

The NY TimesDavid Sanger and Peter Baker point out that this NSS stands in stark contrast to Bush’s 2002 NSS on a number of fronts, including on the right to preemptive strikes, the use of unilateral force and the acknowledgment of burgeoning rival powers. They explain: “Much of the National Security Strategy, which is required by Congress, reads as an argument for a restoration of an older order of reliance on international institutions, updated to confront modern threats.” Newsweek’s Michael Hirsh, however, appears to offer a different interpretation in a blog post entitled, “Obama’s National Security Strategy: Not So Different From Bush’s.” He argues that “it is unmistakable that there are far more similarities than differences between the two National Security Strategies, though each of them marks the advent of an era that is supposedly as distinct from the other as any two periods in U.S. history.”

The report also devotes a section to the importance of promoting democracy and human rights abroad. It tackles numerous elements of this ideal, including the support of women’s rights, recognition of peaceful democratic movements and practicing “principled engagement” with non-democratic regimes. In an apparent dig at Iran, the Obama administration writes that “when our overtures are rebuffed, we must lead the international community in using public and private diplomacy, and drawing on incentives and
disincentives, in an effort to change repressive behavior.”

Foreign Policy’s Will Inboden thinks the report - especially this section - is lacking in substance and grit. “While the NSS rightfully devotes more rhetorical attention to the promotion of human rights and democracy, it unfortunately puts too much emphasis on the U.S. example alone…,” he argues. “What they [international reformers] want is active American advocacy and support — even when that support might cause friction in diplomatic engagement with their own governments.”


Posted in Democracy Promotion, Diplomacy, Human Rights, Multilateralism, Reform, US foreign policy, Uncategorized, Women | 2 Comments »

POMED Notes: “One Year After Cairo: Has U.S. Engagement Improved the Prospects for Reform in the Arab World?”

May 26th, 2010 by Josh

Earlier today, Freedom House and the Project on Middle East Democracy co-hosted an event at the Capitol Visitor Center to explore the effects of President Obama’s new approach to the Arab World, the current challenges for democracy and human rights in the region, and the prospects for changes in U.S. policy to bring about a lasting impact. Tamara Wittes, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, provided remarks on how the president’s Cairo speech has shaped the last year of Middle East policy. Deputy Director of Freedom House Thomas. O Melia then moderated a group of 3 panelists: Dina Guirguis, Research Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy; Andrew Albertson, Executive Director of POMED; and Stephen Grand, Director of the U.S. Relations with the Islamic World project at the Brookings Institution.

Click here for POMED’s notes in PDF, or continue reading below the fold.

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Posted in DC Event Notes, Democracy Promotion, Diplomacy, Egypt, Elections, Foreign Aid, Freedom, Human Rights, Iran, Iraq, Multilateralism, Political Parties, Reform, US foreign policy, Women, Yemen | 2 Comments »

Are Women Losing Power in Turkey?

May 25th, 2010 by Chanan

The answer is yes, according to Soner Cagaptay and Rueya Perincek of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. In a one-page graphical analysis replete with bar charts and explanatory captions, Cagaptay and Perincek depict a reality where women have experienced a diminished role in political affairs since the AKP government came to power in 2002. Although women’s share in the Turkish parliament has doubled during this time period, they have also witnessed a drop in holding executive and bureaucratic positions in government. For example, not one woman holds a high-level position in the Justice Ministry. According to the authors, all of these elements account for the fact that women are being pushed out of the workforce. “Under the AKP,” they write, “women are losing power in Turkey.”


Posted in Judiciary, Political Parties, Turkey, Uncategorized, Women | Comment »

Afghanistan: Cultivating Democracy by Empowering Women

May 11th, 2010 by Josh

In a piece at Foreign Policy, BYU professor Valerie M. Hudson teams up with Patricia Leidl, an international communications consultant, to reveal what they believe is the single most glaring deficiency in U.S. policy toward Afghanistan: poor support for Afghan women. More precisely, failing to provide security for Afghan women, 87 percent of whom report being beaten on a regular basis. Sadly, Hudson and Leidl report that President Hamid Karzai’s government not only fails in its most basic responsibility to protect women from abuse and discrimination, but also foments ill-treatment through “legislation that denies or severely limits women’s rights to inherit, divorce, or have guardianship of their own children.” Other laws legalize the rape of minors and allow men to “prohibit women’s access to work, education, and health care by denying them the right to leave their homes except for ‘legitimate’ purposes.”

Such mistreatment holds consequence in many areas of Afghan social, economic, and political life, and Hudson and Leidl implore President Obama to, as part of the coalition’s comprehensive strategy to stabilize Afghanistan, start building more egalitarian institutions of democratic governance that will “groom a moderate, educated middle class of young women and men … to shape their society in a progressive way.” Progress in Afghanistan, they say, is not only a function of military success, but also the natural result of empowering women to participate in rebuilding the state.


Posted in Afghanistan, Human Rights, Legislation, US foreign policy, Women | 1 Comment »

Arab Reform Bulletin: Lebanese Municipal Elections On Time, But Reform Delayed

April 28th, 2010 by Chanan

As Lebanon prepares for municipal elections in the first of a multi-staged process this upcoming weekend, Karam Karam, the program director at the Lebanese Center for Policy Studies, offers a frustrating account of the missed opportunities to enact much-needed reform of the electoral process. “The issue of reform has been raised before and after each of the elections held since 1990 without ever being translated into concrete measures, and the same is true this time around,” he writes.

A bill put forward late last year by the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities that would have changed the current majoritarian system into a system of proportional representation replete with expanded municipal powers, greater opportunities for female legislators and a more fair balloting system was stunted by political parties concerned about its impact on “the patronage networks and favoritism that have dominated politics since the establishment of the Lebanese Republic.” Even though these parties are aware of the benefits to a revised electoral system, “the inertia of the present system is too great to overcome.”


Posted in Elections, Lebanon, Political Parties, Reform, Uncategorized, Women | Comment »

POMED Notes: “The Human Rights Situation in Bahrain”

April 27th, 2010 by Josh

Earlier today, the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission held a hearing to explore the human rights situation in Bahrain. Credible human rights NGOs and the State Department have documented violations of Bahraini constitutional protections, and have expressed concern for women’s rights, trafficking, freedom of speech and religion, domestic violence and discrimination against the Shi’a population and foreign workers’ rights. To discuss these issues, the commission – chaired by Congressman James McGovern (D-MA) with Congresswoman Donna Edwards (D-MD) in attendance – requested the testimony of five individuals: Joe Stork, Deputy Director of Human Rights Watch’s Middle East and North Africa Division; Stephen McInerney, Director of Advocacy for the Project of Middle East Democracy; Katie Zoglin, Senior Program Manager of Freedom House’s Middle East and North Africa division; Kenneth Katzman, Specialist in Middle East Affairs for the Congressional Research Service; and Mohammed Alansari of the Bahrain Society for Public Freedom.

For POMED’s notes in PDF, click here. Otherwise, continue reading below.

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Posted in Bahrain, Congressional Hearing Notes (House), Democracy Promotion, Diplomacy, Elections, Foreign Aid, Human Rights, Journalism, Judiciary, NGOs, Political Parties, Reform, Sectarianism, US foreign policy, Women | Comment »

Egypt: Mubarak’s Back

April 16th, 2010 by Chanan

Some six weeks after ostensibly undergoing gall bladder surgery in Germany, President Hosni Mubarak returned to work on Thursday chairing a cabinet meeting focused mainly on domestic issues. Video footage on state-run TV of the black-haired, 81-year-old leader marks his first public television appearance since March 27.

The Middle East Institute’s Michael Collins Dunn reminds us that with Mubarak’s 82nd birthday almost two weeks away, succession stories will be back in the news. He surmises that Mubarak may soon give some clues about his intention to run or his plans of succession; should he not, we can expect to see more uncertainty and angst. For the time being, “Mubarak may be all over the state media, but ElBaradei owns the news cycle and the independent media.” In fact, earlier this week, ElBaradei gave an interview to the BBC, and reiterated his interest in running for president on the condition that the Egyptian constitution is changed. ”People are thirsty for change,” he said. “I am not going to be part of flirting with democracy.”

Meanwhile, a multitude of protests continue to proliferate throughout the country, according to Al-Masry Al-Youm. In one instance, teachers demonstrated in front of the Education Ministry against a decision that requires signing temporary two-year contracts. In another situation, Egyptian Women for Change sent out a statement condemning a suggestion that allocates a designated place for protests.


Posted in Egypt, Elections, Protests, Reform, Uncategorized, Women | Comment »

POMED Notes: ‘Netizens’ in Iran and the Greater Middle East: A Discussion on the Fate of Iranian Reporters

April 5th, 2010 by Josh

The School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF) co-hosted an event to analyze the deteriorating conditions for journalists in Iran and elsewhere in the Middle East. Clothilde Le Coz, director of RSF’s Washington Bureau, moderated a panel of three prominent Middle Eastern voices: Azar Nafisi, executive director of Cultural Conversations at SAIS’ Foreign Policy Institute and author of Reading Lolita in Tehran; Mona Eltahawy, syndicated columnist and international public speaker on Arab and Muslim issues; and Nikahang Kowsar, cartoonist and syndicated New York Times editor.

For POMED’s notes in PDF, click here. Otherwise, continue below the fold.

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Posted in DC Event Notes, Democracy Promotion, Egypt, Freedom, Human Rights, Iran, Journalism, Political Parties, Technology, Women | Comment »