SWMENA Blog
Tue, October 02, 2012 - 5:52:11
This morning in Tunis, hundreds of activists will gather in front of a courthouse to protest, as inside a woman and her fiance stand accused of indecency. With two policemen already in jail on charges of raping her, the Tunisian state today sees fit to judge her.
Thu, July 26, 2012 - 7:19:18
The UN Commission on the Status of Women is currently accepting communication detailing alleged violations to women's rights due by August 1, 2012.
Thu, July 29, 2010 - 5:01:39
In June 2010, after traveling to Morocco with the SWMENA team to release the survey findings to local women's NGOs, academics, and members of parliament, Suzanne Abdallah reflects on her experience and the spirit of Moroccan women.
Fri, October 07, 2011 - 6:59:57
The announcement of the winners of the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize—Liberian president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Liberian activist Leymah Gbowee and Yemeni activist Tawakkul Karman—recognizes the importance of advancing gender equality and democracy promotion around the world.
Thu, December 01, 2011 - 11:08:39
IFES recently conducted nationwide pre-election surveys in Egypt (July 2011) and Tunisia (August 2011) to gauge the feelings and ideas of the people concerning the recent elections.
Thu, February 10, 2011 - 11:53:06
One of the most controversial, yet important tools to promote women into the political arena has been the gender quota. The Strategic use of Gender Quotas in the Arab World, written by Hybl Reseach Fellow Bozena Chrisina Welbourne, explores the mix of incentives seen in the variation in gender quota adoption within legislatures across the Middle East and North Africa.
Tue, July 12, 2011 - 7:43:35
IFES brings together women’s advocates from Lebanon, Morocco and Yemen for a training on how to use and easily display data released through our Status of Women in the Middle East and North Africa (SWMENA) project surveys.
Thu, April 01, 2010 - 3:37:41
Lobbying is a critical component of the democratic process. The essence of representative government is that policymakers should be representing the needs of their constituencies when they pass laws.
Mon, March 21, 2011 - 5:06:50
As the US and international community assist countries across the region and Yemen in particular in the stabilization process, they should keep in mind that this is a prime opportunity to advocate for women’s rights.
Tue, August 16, 2011 - 7:45:00
IFES Senior Research Specialist Rola Abdul-Latif and Deputy Director for Europe and Asia Vasu Mohan shed light on some of the challenges and opportunities facing women in the region during InterAction’s Forum 2011 on Aug. 12 in Washington.
Tue, March 08, 2011 - 3:28:42
March 8 marks the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day. It is a day to acknowledge the economic, political and social achievements of women. It is also a day to remember many women across the world still need advocates for their cause.
Tue, March 08, 2011 - 5:00:14
IFES' Research Officer Lauren Serpe discusses SWMENA data and the status of women in Yemen.
Public Opinion Data and Political and Legal Reform Opportunities for Women in Yemen, Morocco and Leb
Mon, September 26, 2011 - 7:59:51
As people across the Middle East and North Africa continue to protest for greater freedom and equality under repressive regimes, women have an unprecedented opportunity to capture some of the newly created political space and ensure gender rights are integrated into political and legal reforms.
Thu, April 12, 2012 - 1:18:26
In addition to SWMENA data, there are many resources available that can be leveraged for advocacy work and development. These are just a few.
Tue, June 01, 2010 - 7:49:52
IFES and the Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR) have united their years of experience in research and capacity building to enhance the status of women in the Middle East and North Africa. Through comparative and country‐specific surveys, the project measures how women in Lebanon, Morocco and Yemen see themselves as members of society, the economy and the polity. Using the information obtained from the surveys, the project seeks to build capacity of local NGOs seeking to improve women’s well‐being by providing them with tools to develop policy recommendations and skills for working on advocacy campaigns.
Wed, November 30, 2011 - 12:18:44
As a culmination of SWMENA work over the past four years, IFES staff, partners, and advisors met in Marrakech, Morocco on November 16 and 17 to discuss the successes and areas of improvement for the SWMENA project.
Sun, April 01, 2012 - 1:10:29
SWMENA data has been cited in numerous news articles, publications, and databases. While it is impossible to display the number of times this has occurred, IFES has been featured in the following examples.
Thu, November 03, 2011 - 5:56:15
Read about SWMENA's participation at Interaction's Annual Forum in August 2011 with special guests Carla Koppell, USAID Gender Specialist, and Rana Jarhum, Yemeni Women's Right Activist.
Wed, August 10, 2011 - 3:20:34
Only one out of every five legislators in the world is a woman, and many countries still deny women the right to cast a ballot.
Mon, October 01, 2012 - 1:57:31
With a draft of the Rights and Freedoms chapter in Egypt’s constitution published last week, rights groups and political movements have expressed concern over the limitations the new constitution may impose on Egyptian citizens, particularly its women. One of their main concerns is the vague and ambiguous wording that plagues the draft constitution, an ambiguity which could easily be manipulated to serve specific purposes.