Center for A New America: Beyond Platitudes-
Women’s Economic Empowerment in the Middle East
By Debie Waggoner
Panelists: Fida Adely, Amjad Atallah, Doa’a Brahimi, Nadereh Chamlou, Fatima Irshaid
Special Guest: Cherie Blair, wife of former Prime Minister of the UK, Tony Blair
Moderated by Steve Clemons of New America
Steve Clemons began the discussion by saying, “It’s easy for DC-types to talk at 30,000 feet” about critical issues in the world, but many people on this panel have on-the-ground experiences. And he was right, especially when it came to his first speaker:
Fatima Irshaid, with Tomorrow’s Youth Organization, spoke about her field work in the Palestinian territory of Nablus. She discussed the process of how the organization began with focusing on early childhood education for refugees and then realized that the mothers were also in need of education. The women wanted to know more about nutrition, exercise, computers, and then asked for ways to earn a living. TYO has continued to expand its services to the women and children in the refugee camps. The major caveat for the women refugees who want to be involved with TYO is that it only accepts women into the program whose families are onboard. If a woman’s male guardian (husband, father, uncle, brother, etc.) does not want her attending classes that will give her computer skills or any other job skills, TYO does not try to assist the woman anyway. This makes sense, for logistical and probably for safety’s sake. The last thing a non-profit wants to do is stir up a hornet’s nest in a community where it is trying to help-but this laid the foundation for the core issue that was discussed at this event: evolving the mindset of men towards women in the Middle East.
Fida Adely, a professor at Georgetown, questioned the limits of the macro-economic analysis of labor and economic participation of women. She acknowledged that in many countries, women are heavily involved in the non-formal labor market (cleaning services, selling items out of her home or in a small market setting). Thus, the stats show that in many Middle Eastern/North Africa (MENA) states, such as Yemen, that women have very little economic participation; however, in reality, women do much more work than men in some of these countries. She also raised an excellent question: “How do women in the MENA region perceive themselves?” In many of these countries, women see it as a sign of prosperity when they do not have to work. This raises the point, that women’s economic empowerment is not simply being employed; it is having the power of decision-maker. When a woman not only has economic independence, but the freedom to make her own life choices, only then is she truly empowered.
Naderah Chamlou, Economist, stated that there were findings that women in MENA were held back more by marriage than by children. By this she meant that the act of getting married correlated with a lack of participation in the labor market and lack of economic independence, despite more women in MENA being highly educated. The younger generation was considerably more conservative about women’s issues than previous generations-a disturbing trend. One of three men were found to be opposed to married women working outside of the home and only one in ten women were opposed to the idea.
Special Guest, Cherie Blair put forth the possibility that the conservatism amongst young men could be due to the fact that young men were always entitled to jobs in most of the MENA region, whereas women have to work harder to breakthrough this cultural divide and prove themselves. The boys see the girls getting the highest grades (Women often receive the top grades in 90% of classes in MENA) and know that as women they will be a threat to what men perceive as jobs they are “entitled” to. Whenever people feel a perceived entitlement threatened, they of course, take steps to eliminate that threat, and one step could be that young men are reverting to increasingly conservative positions on women’s equality. She stated that while a formal declaration of women’s equality would be an enormous step forward, unless the law backs it up, it would do little good.
The sole man on the panel, Amjad Atallah, gets kudos for being the co-founder of Women for Women International, and for stating that, “Women have remained afterthoughts when it comes to politics, religion, and the economy in MENA societies. Societies survive not because of men out buying weapons, but because of women, who hold everything together during conflict and turmoil.” I would add, so as not to disparage those men who have gone out and fought to protect their families-without those who are willing to defend, there would be no societies left for the women to hold together. But I see Atallah’s point and especially agree that would seem to remain afterthoughts in MENA domestic policy.
Doa’a Brahimi concluded the pre-question speaking by adding that the countries in MENA should not be so easily lumped together-there are many different countries in the region-some with much more progressive women’s movements than others.
Summary and Final Thoughts: Men’s attitudes in the Middle East/North African region need to evolve, that was the conclusion. Right now, the general attitudes of men seem to embrace one of two backward thinking approaches: 1. The men run the show and the women need to remain in their traditional domestic roles. 2. Fine, let the women take advantage of other opportunities, as long as men are first provided for, their needs met, and the women do not get their opportunities before the men do.
My question is: what incentive do men in the MENA region have for supporting women’s economic empowerment and women’s equality? Why should they “evolve”? They are the dominant gender in that region and are accustomed to women serving them and obeying them. Who would want to give up that power? I think the women themselves will have to be the movers and shakers; the men will not evolve unless circumstances create an atmosphere where evolution is inevitable. Education will only do so much as the statistics have shown. The women have to unite and create a movement for their own empowerment.
By Debie Waggoner
Panelists: Fida Adely, Amjad Atallah, Doa’a Brahimi, Nadereh Chamlou, Fatima Irshaid
Special Guest: Cherie Blair, wife of former Prime Minister of the UK, Tony Blair
Moderated by Steve Clemons of New America
Steve Clemons began the discussion by saying, “It’s easy for DC-types to talk at 30,000 feet” about critical issues in the world, but many people on this panel have on-the-ground experiences. And he was right, especially when it came to his first speaker:
Fatima Irshaid, with Tomorrow’s Youth Organization, spoke about her field work in the Palestinian territory of Nablus. She discussed the process of how the organization began with focusing on early childhood education for refugees and then realized that the mothers were also in need of education. The women wanted to know more about nutrition, exercise, computers, and then asked for ways to earn a living. TYO has continued to expand its services to the women and children in the refugee camps. The major caveat for the women refugees who want to be involved with TYO is that it only accepts women into the program whose families are onboard. If a woman’s male guardian (husband, father, uncle, brother, etc.) does not want her attending classes that will give her computer skills or any other job skills, TYO does not try to assist the woman anyway. This makes sense, for logistical and probably for safety’s sake. The last thing a non-profit wants to do is stir up a hornet’s nest in a community where it is trying to help-but this laid the foundation for the core issue that was discussed at this event: evolving the mindset of men towards women in the Middle East.
Fida Adely, a professor at Georgetown, questioned the limits of the macro-economic analysis of labor and economic participation of women. She acknowledged that in many countries, women are heavily involved in the non-formal labor market (cleaning services, selling items out of her home or in a small market setting). Thus, the stats show that in many Middle Eastern/North Africa (MENA) states, such as Yemen, that women have very little economic participation; however, in reality, women do much more work than men in some of these countries. She also raised an excellent question: “How do women in the MENA region perceive themselves?” In many of these countries, women see it as a sign of prosperity when they do not have to work. This raises the point, that women’s economic empowerment is not simply being employed; it is having the power of decision-maker. When a woman not only has economic independence, but the freedom to make her own life choices, only then is she truly empowered.
Naderah Chamlou, Economist, stated that there were findings that women in MENA were held back more by marriage than by children. By this she meant that the act of getting married correlated with a lack of participation in the labor market and lack of economic independence, despite more women in MENA being highly educated. The younger generation was considerably more conservative about women’s issues than previous generations-a disturbing trend. One of three men were found to be opposed to married women working outside of the home and only one in ten women were opposed to the idea.
Special Guest, Cherie Blair put forth the possibility that the conservatism amongst young men could be due to the fact that young men were always entitled to jobs in most of the MENA region, whereas women have to work harder to breakthrough this cultural divide and prove themselves. The boys see the girls getting the highest grades (Women often receive the top grades in 90% of classes in MENA) and know that as women they will be a threat to what men perceive as jobs they are “entitled” to. Whenever people feel a perceived entitlement threatened, they of course, take steps to eliminate that threat, and one step could be that young men are reverting to increasingly conservative positions on women’s equality. She stated that while a formal declaration of women’s equality would be an enormous step forward, unless the law backs it up, it would do little good.
The sole man on the panel, Amjad Atallah, gets kudos for being the co-founder of Women for Women International, and for stating that, “Women have remained afterthoughts when it comes to politics, religion, and the economy in MENA societies. Societies survive not because of men out buying weapons, but because of women, who hold everything together during conflict and turmoil.” I would add, so as not to disparage those men who have gone out and fought to protect their families-without those who are willing to defend, there would be no societies left for the women to hold together. But I see Atallah’s point and especially agree that would seem to remain afterthoughts in MENA domestic policy.
Doa’a Brahimi concluded the pre-question speaking by adding that the countries in MENA should not be so easily lumped together-there are many different countries in the region-some with much more progressive women’s movements than others.
Summary and Final Thoughts: Men’s attitudes in the Middle East/North African region need to evolve, that was the conclusion. Right now, the general attitudes of men seem to embrace one of two backward thinking approaches: 1. The men run the show and the women need to remain in their traditional domestic roles. 2. Fine, let the women take advantage of other opportunities, as long as men are first provided for, their needs met, and the women do not get their opportunities before the men do.
My question is: what incentive do men in the MENA region have for supporting women’s economic empowerment and women’s equality? Why should they “evolve”? They are the dominant gender in that region and are accustomed to women serving them and obeying them. Who would want to give up that power? I think the women themselves will have to be the movers and shakers; the men will not evolve unless circumstances create an atmosphere where evolution is inevitable. Education will only do so much as the statistics have shown. The women have to unite and create a movement for their own empowerment.
