Webinar on women’s rights and participation

The European External Action Service (EEAS) - the Middle East and North Africa Department and the SG Gender and Diversity team - in collaboration with the Swedish Dialogue Institute for the Middle East and North Africa organized a webinar on women’s rights and participation in the MENA region, on 24 January 2023.

The webinar was titled “Stories that matter” and was attended by about some hundred participants, mainly from the EU Institutions and EU Members States, as well as from other international organizations and from civil society working on gender equality.

It aimed at deepening the understanding regarding challenges that women face in their social, economic, and political empowerment. The discussions focused on the importance of inclusivity in incorporating the diverse voices in society – both men and women - to be part of the analysis, of programs, and of policy development and decision making.

The webinar featured a diverse panel of eminent speakers from the region, all engaged in the fields of gender equality, and women’s rights and participation. The panelists were Hoda Elsadda from Egypt (Professor in comparative literature and the co-founder of the Women and Memory Forum), Dr. Sara Bazoobandi from Iran (Marie Curie fellow at the German Institute for Global and Area Studies), Mr. Fadi Zaghmout from Jordan (author and gender activist), Ms. Asma Khalifa from Libya (activist and researcher with focus on human rights, women’s rights  and youth empowerment), and Ms. Majd Mashharawi from Palestine (entrepreneur from Gaza).

The session was moderated by Ambassador Charlotta Sparre, Director of the Swedish Dialogue Institute for the Middle East and North Africa. It was opened by a video message by the Secretary-General of EEAS, Stefano Sannino, and hosted by Rosamaria Gili, Deputy Director for MENA and Head of Maghreb Division, EEAS.

For more information, read the full report on the meeting.