The Arab world today is witnessing multiple and evolving transformations, in which women and young women strive for leadership opportunities in various areas of decision-making, amid various cultural, economic, and social barriers, which underscores the importance of the role of family and society in supporting and shaping their opportunities to become future leaders, as well as the need for positive change in the region as a whole.
To initiate a regional dialogue on women's leadership and the role of family and society in its advancement, and to launch the research report "Raising Tomorrow’s Leaders: The Role of Family and Societal Norms in Shaping Young Women Leadership in Jordan, Lebanon, and Egypt", the Arab Renaissance for Democracy and Development (ARDD) held a regional roundtable in this context, on Monday, September 2, 2024, within the framework of the She Leads program, and in cooperation with Plan International Netherlands, Defense for Children – ECPAT Netherlands (DCI-ECPAT), African Women’s Development and Communication Network (FEMNET), and Terre des Hommes Netherlands (TdH).
The report aims to provide insights and recommendations to policymakers and stakeholders on how families can contribute to supporting young women's leadership, inform policymakers and stakeholders on the drivers and obstacles to women's leadership in society, and understand how shifts in social dynamics and regional trends can affect the leadership roles of girls and young women in Jordan, Lebanon, and Egypt.
Sarah Al-Halawani, Regional Director of the She Leads Project at Plan International - Jordan, explained that supporting women leaders takes different forms: financial, emotional, or psychological. Hence, parents have an important role in the success of their daughters and promoting their greater participation in the public sphere, as the family can be a decisive factor in creating an enabling environment in which women can effectively assume leadership positions within financial, social, and cultural norms and standards, and beyond them.
For her part, Lina Halaseh, Project Manager at ARDD, stressed the importance of preparing evidence-based research to stimulate advocacy efforts to support young women leaders, noting that the family is a key factor in preparing the new generation for effective participation in decision-making positions.
On the main findings of the report, Dr. Marta Tarantino, Research Officer within Women's Studies at the Renaissance Strategic Center, explained that initiatives that recognize and enhance the crucial role played by the family in the development of women's leadership must be improved and funded, with the implementation of mentoring programs that would help realize the importance of women's leadership, and ensure the inclusion of parents, especially mothers who are considered role models of leadership in their communities, and other female role models, as well as stablishing intergenerational dialogue forums to bridge the gap between parents and children regarding the aspirations and challenges of both groups, in order to enhance digital inclusion for young women and their families, by promoting digital literacy programs and ensuring equal access to technology through innovative policies and financial support.
Regarding areas of advocacy for the next phase, Menna Nabil, participant in the She Leads program from Egypt, warned of the need to focus on the role of family and society as a whole, and on the emergence of signs of positive change in the social dynamics that shape the public sphere, and to adopt a contemporary approach that can effectively contributes to the inclusion of girls and women in the decision-making process.
Reviewing the key recommendations, Dr. Sana Jelassi, Advisor for Women and Youth Programs at ARDD’S Renaissance Strategic Center, said that "Social, political, and economic factors will continue to pose challenges to girls and their families, which policymakers and public institutions must address, as well as making local voices heard on the regional and international arenas, as they are a key element in the advancement of their countries in the coming decades."
Going forward, TdH's MENA Access to Justice Program Coordinator, Farah Ishaqat, recommended developing and funding initiatives that strengthen the family support system and recognize its critical role in women's leadership development, as well as providing the necessary infrastructure and safe transportation options to ensure women's safety, allowing them greater freedom to participate in the public sphere, and also promoting the pivotal role families play in supporting women leaders, through targeted information, education, and communication campaigns, while highlighting the positive stories of families and women, and focusing on their contribution to the development of society.
She Leads aims to transform social norms in formal and informal institutions in East Africa (Uganda, Ethiopia, and Kenya), West Africa (Ghana, Mali, Sierra Leone, and Liberia) and the Middle East (Lebanon, Jordan, and Egypt).
