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25 Results
Hands raise up against a sunset.
Building Pluralistic and Inclusive States Post-Arab Spring
In February 2018, the Baker Institute, the American University of Beirut’s Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy, and the Carnegie Corporation of New York held a two-day conference in Beirut to examine critical challenges and effective policy options for fostering more inclusive and pluralistic systems in the MENA. Leading experts discussed issues such as post-conflict reconstruction and the economic, political, and socio-religious dimensions of pluralism and inclusion in the MENA. This report summarizes some of the participants' discussions and proposals.
Robert Barron April 26, 2018
Tunisia Flag woman
Contradictions of the Tunisian State: Women’s Rights and Gendered Repression
Tunisia is widely regarded as having one of the most liberal approaches to family law and women’s rights in the region. Yet for nearly 60 years of authoritarian rule — as women’s rights were championed in public discourse, in national legislation and on the international scene — the government did not hesitate to brutalize women through torture and other gross human rights violations, according to more than 15,000 testimonies recently collected by a Tunisian state commission.
Mounira Charrad, Amina Zarrugh July 30, 2015
Women in hijab in a crowd
Working Those Connections: Exploring Arab Women’s Differential Access to Opportunity in the Middle East and North Africa
Despite enviable increases in educational attainment, women in the MENA countries may fare less well in attaining a form of social capital integral to their ability to exercise full political, economic and social agency: wasta — loosely, clout, or using one’s connections and/or influence to get things done.
Gail Buttorf, Bozena Welborne July 17, 2015
Egypt
Egypt’s Electoral Labyrinth Undermines Women’s Political Representation
The current electoral labyrinth in Egypt continues to pose a significant challenge to creating a just and all-inclusive political system. Despite the myriad electoral reforms and constitutional amendments passed in the past four years, women continue to play a minor role in the decision-making process in postrevolutionary Egypt. The new constitution unveiled in early 2014 lacks a constitutional provision or a quota system that would guarantee equal political representation for women; this will negatively impact women’s ability to exert influence in the political arena.
Marwa Shalaby April 6, 2015