Arab women speak out to create an environment for self-empowerment

Communication World, June-July, 2003 by Bushra Jabre, Carol Underwood

Though many Arab women are active participants in day-to-day practices and struggles that create opportunities and improve the conditions under which they live, media often portray them as passively subordinate. The stark contrast between these images and the everyday experiences of Arab women prompted the development of Arab Women Speak Out, a communication initiative launched in 1999 to encourage women in the Near East to rethink conventional assumptions and to critically analyze their obstacles and opportunities.

OBJECTIVES

An advocacy and training program created by the Johns Hopkins University Center for Communication Programs and the Center for Arab Training and Research, Arab Women Speak Out presents diverse images of lower- and middleclass women from Egypt, Lebanon, Palestine, Tunisia and Yemen who have become respected agents of social change in their communities. By providing role models of high achievement and self-esteem for women throughout the region, the program seeks to encourage acceptance of these roles by men and women, opinion leaders, religious groups, policymakers and national organizations. The ultimate goal is to generate an increased demand for women's rights and to encourage local initiatives that can empower Arab women in their chosen fields.

Arab Women Speak Out is based on the principle that the solutions to problems--and ultimately change--come from within a community. But most people need an experience, an encounter or an introduction to new ways of thinking before they can initiate change. That's what Arab Women Speak Out delivers.

IMPLEMENTATION

The central component of Arab Women Speak Out is a series of 10 documentary profiles in which successful Arab women relate their experiences and describe how they have achieved personal goals and assumed greater stature in their households and communities. The program, delivered as a workshop, is not prescriptive--it does not tell women what they should do. Rather, it enables them to empower themselves and their communities by exploring options, defining goals and paving multifaceted ways to reach those goals. A supplemental "Training for Self-Empowerment" manual guides discussions in which participants question and assess gender roles, develop negotiating and decision-making skills and strengthen social networks. Additional materials include a tool for monitoring the image of women in the media and a case study publication featuring 30 women from five Arab countries. Produced by Arab women researchers and film producers, these materials are designed to be fully integrated into ongoing programs of nongovernme ntal organizations.

RESULTS

Arab Women Speak Out is being used by 25 local nongovernmental and governmental organizations to guide training workshops at the community level in 10 Arab countries to help women achieve self-empowerment. Since its launch, nearly 120,000 Arab women have participated in the training sessions.

Researchers randomly selected and interviewed 200 participants from Egypt, Jordan and Yemen as well as 117 women from these three countries who had not participated in the program--the control group--to learn about the impact of the project. The analysis found that participants are significantly more likely than nonparticipants to

* hold critical views of the way in which the mainstream media portray Arab women

* have positive images of their own ability to contribute to social change

* take positive action when confronted with obstacles to personal or social development

* initiate a new business enterprise

* participate actively in decision making with their husbands or other family members

* assume a lead role in community activities designed to improve social, political and economic conditions.

One of those interviewed was Aisha, a young Yemeni woman working as a janitor, who has aspirations of finishing her education and becoming a teacher. After participating in Arab Women Speak Out, she enrolled in the teaching program at the University of Yemen and also became a facilitator for Arab Women Speak Out, leading discussions with women in her community.

The impact of Arab Women Speak Out is clear. Women who participate in this program are actively transforming their lives as well as the lives of those who know them; they are proactive in situations where many women in their milieu remain passive.

RELATED ARTICLE: UNDERTAKING A SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT INITIATE

An important goal of the Arab Women Speak Out project is to encourage agencies involved with women's social development initiatives to base their project design and funding decisions on the real needs of women at the community level. The following recommendations embody this approach:

* Offer access to new ideas, information and resources that can help women expand their life options, including those affecting their economic, social, legal and health status.

* Promote diverse economic opportunities that move beyond women's traditional income-generating activities.

* Facilitate the process of obtaining credit and loans.