WOMEN & HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE MIDDLE EAST

In 2007, the Baker Institute established, with the support of the Kelly Day Endowment on the Status of Women and Human Rights in the Middle East, a program to advance the role of women in the Arab world. Since then, the program has hosted internationally-recognized speakers from the Middle East and issued timely policy recommendations that aim to increase the rights of the region’s women in the home, workplace and political sphere.

The endowment’s advisory board helps implement the program’s vision. Its members are:

Mrs. Susan Baker Mrs. Kelly Day

Mrs. Paula Douglass Mrs. Ghada Irani

Founder’s Circle:

Mr. and Mrs. Eli Broad The Honorable James A. Baker, III,

and Mrs. Baker Mr. and Mrs. Robert A. DayMr. and Mrs. Sam P. Douglass

Mr. Bradford M. Freeman Mr. and Mrs. Marc Stern Mr. and Mrs. John Hotchkis Mr. Robert Maguire III Wilson-Thornhill Foundation

A commitment to promote women’s rights throughout the Middle East

The Ghada Irani Discretionary Fund complements the broader goals of the Kelly Day Endowment by supporting research and activities that promote new and innovative ways to better understand and improve upon the policies and practices that impact women and human rights in the Middle East. This fund was established in honor of Mrs. Ghada Irani and in recognition of her important role in the establishment of the Kelly Day Endowment on the Status of Women and Human Rights in the Middle East.

Greetings from Rice University’s Baker Institute and the Women and Human Rights in the Middle East Program. We are fortunate to be located in one of the most diverse and vibrant cities in the world — Houston, Texas. Our program, generously funded by the Kelly Day Endowment, began as a lecture series hosting some of the most prominent figures in the Middle East. The program has since expanded to include a variety of research initiatives addressing the economic and sociopolitical advancement of women in the Arab world.

The mission of the Women and Human Rights in the Middle East Program is to produce cutting-edge research and substantive policy recommendations that advance major issues of concern for Arab women. In addition to our main research areas, the program hosts other scholarly endeavors, such as a distinguished lecture series and academic conferences.

This is an exciting year for all of us as we celebrate not only the institute’s 20th anniversary, but also national recognition as one of the top 25 think tanks in the United States. It additionally marks the continuation of our efforts to become a leading worldwide center in the study of gender issues in the Middle East. Looking ahead, our program is pleased to announce the inauguration of an annual conference on gender and human rights in the Middle East. We also look forward to building more regional and international collaborations with academic and nongovernmental organizations.

I am honored to be the director of the Women and Human Rights in the Middle East Program. We are very passionate about our work and our mission to make a real difference in the lives of women throughout the Arab world.

Marwa Shalaby, Ph.D.Postdoctoral Fellow for Women and Human Rights in the Middle East

Program Director

In her May 2007 inauguration speech for the Kelly Day Endowment on the Status of Women and Human Rights in the Middle East, Her Highness Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al Missned draws attention to the socioeconomic impact of women in the Arab world.

The Women and Human Rights in the Middle East Program has featured a number of prominent speakers:

Her Highness Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser al Missned State of Qatar

Her Royal Highness Princess Haya Al HusseinU.N. Messenger of Peace

Isobel ColemanSenior Fellow for U.S. Foreign Policy, Council on Foreign Relations

Zainab SalbiCo-founder, Women for Women International

Amr KhaledChairman, Right Start Foundation International

Guests share their insights at lectures for our local, national and international audiences

Jehan Sadat, former first lady of Egypt, delivered a message of hope and peace during a 2009 event hosted by the Women and Human Rights in the Middle East Program.

The rights of women in the Middle East have recently attracted much attention from academics and policymakers alike. The widening gender gap in the region at the political, economic and societal levels has prompted many Arab countries to take significant steps toward increased gender equality and to improve the social and economic opportunities of this marginalized group. However, very little is known about the effectiveness of such policies in the Arab context. With this in mind, our research focuses primarily on helping practitioners and policymakers better predict how broader participation of women in the public and private sectors might impact regional attitudes and promote societal progress.

To achieve its goals, the Women and Human Rights in the Middle East Program has produced numerous policy reports and working papers on three main areas of study:

Women and economic development in the Middle EastWomen and the Arab AwakeningWomen and political representation in the Middle East

The program’s fact-based research aims to transform ideas into meaningful action

Mothers and daughters learn to cope with the fallout from war at a workshop in Iraq sponsored by the Ghada Irani Discretionary Fund.

The Women and Human Rights in the Middle East Program produces policy reports, commentaries and working papers on issues pertinent to women and human rights in the Middle East. Previous research has focused on women’s economic development, women and technology, and women and societal transformation after the Arab Awakening. All program publications can be found online at www.bakerinstitute.org.

Past contributors include:

Our work is distributed to policymakers, legislators and academics around the world

“Bank-Insured RoSCA for Microfinance: Experimental Evidence in Poor Egyptian Villages”

Mahmoud A. El-Gamal, Ph.D. Baker Institute Rice Scholar and Chair in Islamic Economics, Finance and Management, Rice University

“Unveiling the Revolutionaries: Cyberactivism and the Role of Women in the Arab Uprising”

Courtney C. RadschSenior Project Officer, Division of Freedom of Expression and Media Development, Communication and Information Sector, UNESCO

“From Tunis to Tunis: Considering the Planks of U.S. Cyber Policy”

Christopher Bronk, Ph.D.Fellow in Information Technology Policy and Director, Program on Energy and Cybersecurity, Center for Energy Studies, Baker Institute

Her Royal Highness Princess Haya Al Hussein describes her humanitarian work to end global poverty and hunger at the June 2011 event, “The Politics of Hunger.”

Panelists respond to audience questions during the program’s 2013 conference at the Baker Institute. Seated, from left are: Dr. Hatoon Al Fassi, Islamic historian, scholar and journalist from Saudi Arabia; Mrs. Nabila Hamza, director of the Foundation for the Future; Mrs. Nabila Ramdani, noted journalist, activist and columnist for The Guardian newspaper; and moderator Dr. Dina Alsowayel. Participants not pictured above include: Judge Kholod Faqeeh, first female sharia law judge in Ramallah, Palestine; Dr. Malika Benradi, international lawyer and women’s rights activist from Morocco; Mrs. Daisy Khan, executive director of the American Society for Muslim Advancement; and Mrs. Neveen El Tahri, founder and CEO of Delta Holdings Inc.

On Feb. 21, 2013, the Women and Human Rights in the Middle East Program hosted an important conference on “The Arab Awakening and Gender: Challenges and Opportunities for Women.” This conference featured a distinguished group of Arab women whose backgrounds ranged from social media and journalism to business, economics, religious law, sociopolitical activism and civil society organizations. The conference aimed to shed light on the achievements of women in the region as well as the formidable obstacles that remain. It also highlighted the importance of increased U.S. efforts to promote gender equality in the region after the Arab Awakening.

Arab women convene to discuss challenges and opportunities in the Middle East

Since its inception in 1993, Rice University’s Baker Institute has established itself as one of the premier nonpartisan public policy think tanks in the country. The institute ranks 21st among U.S. think tanks and 13th among university-affiliated think tanks worldwide, according to a 2012 study by the University of Pennsylvania’s Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program.

As an integral part of Rice University, one of the nation’s most distinguished institutions of higher education, the Baker Institute has a strong track record of achievement in research programs that include conflict resolution, energy, health, science and technology, tax and expenditure policy, and Latin American studies. Speakers have included U.S. presidents and cabinet members, world leaders and heads of government, and numerous foreign dignitaries from around the globe.

Independently or in collaboration with experts from academia, government, the media, business, and nongovernmental and private organizations, the Baker Institute brings a unique perspective to some of the most important public policy challenges of our time.

Explore world issues through expert scholarship and programming with a global perspective

For more information on policy or academic issues, please contact:

Marwa ShalabyProgram Director

mshalaby@rice.edu

Isabel KuriProgram Coordinator

ik1@rice.edu

Please direct giving inquiries to:

Starr DickersonBaker Institute Development Coordinator

713.348.4200starrd@rice.edu

Please direct all media inquiries to:

Jeff FalkAssociate Director for National Media Relations

713.348.6775jfalk@rice.edu

David RuthDirector of National Media Relations

713.348.6327druth@rice.edu

Contact us for the latest research, news and program developments

Rice University’s Baker Institute — MS 40P.O. Box 1892

Houston, Texas 77251-1892

713.348.4683713.348.5993 fax

www.bakerinstitute.org