Ismat, an illiterate Egyptian woman who recently started a successful dairy business, needed a little help before realizing her goal of self-employment. Ismat is one of the 60,000 Arab women who has benefited from participating in Arab Women Speak Out (AWSO), an advocacy and training program designed by the Johns Hopkins University Center for Communication Programs (JHU/CCP) and the Center for Arab Training and Research.
"Arab Women Speak Out taught me that a woman's role could be both inside and outside the house. It taught me that I should start somewhere even though it may be with modest steps," she said. "I started by raising poultry and will increase the numbers. I learned a lot. We women allow others to dominate us, but once we know our rights and responsibilities, then we can ask the men to stand by us. I learned how to analyze issues, negotiate with and convince others."
The US Agency for International Development supports AWSO as part of its gender equity program. Since its launch in the winter of 1999, AWSO has helped women in Jordan, Yemen, Egypt, Lebanon, Tunisia and Palestine overcome social, economic, educational and political obstacles to achieve their potential.
Arab Women Speak Out comprises a series of ten video profiles, training and discussion materials, a tool for monitoring the image of women in the media, and a case study publication of 30 women from five Arab countries. Produced by Arab women researchers and film producers, these materials are currently being used by 25 local non-governmental and governmental organizations to guide training workshops at the community level in 10 Arab countries to help women achieve self-empowerment.
Impact data show that women who participated were significantly more likely to know how to find information about economic opportunities, health and community activities. They were also more likely to own businesses, use their newly acquired negotiation skills to improve personal and social conditions, and make decisions for their families.
"The data demonstrate that the positive and empowered role models portrayed in Arab Women Speak Out can inspire other Arab women to set and work towards new personal and social goals," said Carol Underwood, a JHU/CCP researcher who evaluated data from the program. "Among those who participated in the project, the image of the powerless Arab woman subordinate to men, which had become a self-fulfilling prophecy for some women, has been replaced with realistic images of pro-active Arab women."
Indeed, more than 90 percent of the women who saw the videos said the women seen in Arab Women Speak Out more accurately portray reality. For example, Aisha, a young Yemeni woman working as a janitor, always dreamed 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. She also became a facilitator for the program, leading discussions with women in her community on how they can improve their lives.
"Aisha knew what she wanted but didn't act on her aspirations until after seeing women like herself succeeding," said Bushra Jabre, who developed the program for JHU/CCP. "Watching videos of these real-life examples motivated her and many other women to make positive changes in their lives."
Women who participated in the program made the following comments: "I learned that women everywhere have hidden abilities and, if given the chance, their capabilities will take them to higher places, just like any man with similar abilities," or "I will not circumcise my girls when they reach adolescence having learned the danger of this operation, and "I used to be afraid of dealing with others. After the training, I was able to talk with officials and give my opinion on many issues. Every woman should attend this training."
JHU/CCP is a pioneer in the field of strategic, research-based communication for behavior change and health promotion that has helped transform the theory and practice of public health communication. With representatives in more than 30 countries, JHU/CCP has been developing projects based on systematic needs assessments and strategic positioning of health benefits. — (menareport.com)
© 2002 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
