State Department Fact Sheet

U.S. Commitment to Women in the Middle East

Fact Sheet

Office of International Women's Issues

April 12, 2004

“These are extraordinary times, historic times. We've seen the fall of brutal tyrants. We're seeing the rise of democracy in the Middle East . We're seeing women take their rightful place in societies that were once incredibly oppressive and closed. We're seeing the power and appeal of liberty in every single culture. And we're proud once again -- this nation is proud -- to advance the cause of human rights and human freedom. "

-- President Bush, March 12, 2004 , The White House

As part of the strong U.S. commitment to reform in the Arab world, President Bush, in December 2002, launched the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI). MEPI recognizes women's issues as one of four key pillars integral to reform in the region including political, educational and economic advancements. Of the $129 million that the United States has committed to the Middle East Partnership Initiative, $8 million has been dedicated to the Women's Pillar so far, while women are also full beneficiaries of programs in all of the other MEPI pillars as well.

Political Participation and Civil Society

Arab Women and the Law Workshop. MEPI and the Government of Jordan hosted a workshop on “Women and the Law” from February 16-18 in Amman . This workshop brought together nearly 90 women in the legal profession from 16 countries in the Middle East and North Africa region to discuss key issues affecting women in the legal profession and to develop plans for future collaboration. At the end of the conference, MEPI announced it would support two follow-up activities: the establishment of a regional association for women in the legal profession and a public legal education campaign on women's rights and equality.

Women's Legal Rights in Morocco . With MEPI support, NGOs are providing training on how to strengthen advocacy, develop institutional capacity, enhance legal literacy, increase access to information, and build outreach among organizations in different communities in Morocco .

Regional Campaign Schools. The United States is working to create campaign schools that will provide leadership and organizational training for women seeking elective office. The International Republican Institute and the National Democratic Institute, with MEPI support, conducted the first of these political skills training courses, for more than 50 women from Kuwait , Bahrain , the United Arab Emirates , Oman , Yemen and Qatar , in Doha from February 13-18, 2004 . The Partners in Participation program, of which the Doha school was the first event, will host related events in the Mahgreb and the Levant in coming months.

Arab Women's Forum. The Egyptian Center for Women's Rights (ECWR) organized the first annual Arab Women's Forum in Cairo in May 2003 to discuss how to overcome obstacles faced by Arab women. MEPI will provide funding to ECWR to conduct subsequent training and activities with women's NGOs from across the region.

International Exchanges. Under the International Visitor Program, hundreds of women, including NGO leaders, journalists, teachers, and government officials have come to the United States to skills that are applicable in their home countries. Participants have addressed a wide range of issues, including NGO management, the role of legislators, the judiciary, and the rule of law. Some of these programs, such as Women in Business and the Professions and The Role of Women in Social and Political Affairs, are designed exclusively for women. They teach participants how to increase female participation in private industry, government, and other sectors of society.

Tribal Areas Local Council Pilot Program in Yemen . NGOs are helping to develop democratically run local councils in tribal areas. The program will help also women to participate in Yemeni political life.

Survey of Women's Freedom. The Freedom House Rights Consortium, on behalf of the United States , is conducting a comprehensive survey of the status of women's freedom throughout the Middle East .

Economic Opportunity

Business Internship for Young Arab Women. The U.S. Business Internship Program will provide young women from the Middle East the opportunity to acquire management and business skills through internships with U.S. businesses. The first internships will begin in Summer 2004. http://www.state.gov/p/nea/rls/24795.htm

Middle East Entrepreneur Training (MEET) . This program promotes entrepreneurship and small business development in the Middle East and North Africa . The program, in June 2003, trained women entrepreneurs and small business owners. The program in September 2003 trained men and women in hospital administration.

Educational Programs

Girls' Scholarships in Morocco . MEPI funding to Comite de Soutien a la Scolarisation des Filles (CSSF), or the Rural Girls' Educational Support Committee, is supporting 100 girls financially for 3 years to see them through middle school. CSSF and Moroccan NGOs will establish five new homes to ensure that the girls have safe and culturally acceptable living quarters near their school. This program is being extended to support another 100 girls starting in 2004.

Women's Functional Literacy. CARE Yemen will work with local communities to develop literacy programs for women in agricultural production, women's savings and loan clubs, environmental management, maternal and child health (including HIV/AIDS awareness), women's political participation and women's rights. Helen Keller International has provided literacy training to 20,000 women in the south of Morocco . MEPI will also support a $2 million program to develop materials to raise awareness of the recently promulgated new family code in Morocco (the moudawana).

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The United States supports other programs for women throughout the Middle East .

Legal Training. The International Visitor Program sponsors hundreds of women for training in the United States . These programs address issues such as NGO management, the role of legislators, the judiciary and the rule of law.

Political Training. In Kuwait, the U.S.-Middle East Democracy Fund is sponsoring a program to train women activists to develop strategies for obtaining political rights for women, including the right to vote and run for elected office.

Media Training. Internews, an international NGO, provided forty Jordanian, Palestinian, and Saudi journalists lessons in accuracy, objectivity and balanced reporting. MEPI is also planning to work with Arab women news commentators and journalists to develop a program aimed at highlighting women's empowerment in the Arab media. This project is yet to be designed, but may include production of documentaries, media programs, and training seminars to begin to emphasize this issue for a broader audience.

Health Care. The Forty-Day Program provides postpartum care to mothers and infants in Tunisia , Jordan and the West Bank . Safe Motherhood and Child Survival programs provide antenatal and postpartum care, safe delivery and treatment of obstetric complications to women in Egypt , Yemen , Jordan and Morocco .

Microcredit Programs. Since 1996, the United States has given more than 34,000 micro-credit loans worth over $13 million to Palestinian women entrepreneurs. These programs have helped thousands of women to build sustainable businesses.

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