Addressing women's issues is one of the four key pillars in the Bush administration's Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI), launched in 2002. To date, MEPI has devoted $9 million to programs designed specifically for women, according to a State Department fact sheet issued August 23.

U.S. Department of State
Office of the Senior Coordinator for International Women's Issues
August 23, 2004

Fact Sheet

U.S. Commitment to Women in the Middle East

"These are extraordinary times, historic times. We've seen the fall of brutal tyrants. We're seeing the rise of democracy in the Middle East. We're seeing women take their rightful place in societies that were once incredibly oppressive and closed. We're seeing the power and appeal of liberty in every single culture. And we're proud once again -- this nation is proud -- to advance the cause of human rights and human freedom."
-- President Bush, March 12, 2004, The White House

As part of the strong U.S. commitment to reform in the Arab world, President Bush, in December 2002, launched the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI). MEPI recognizes women's issues as one of four key pillars integral to reform in the region along with political, educational, and economic advancements. Of the $129 million that the United States has committed to MEPI, $9 million has been dedicated to the Women's Pillar so far. Women are also full beneficiaries of programs in the other three MEPI pillars. The projects listed below are representative of MEPI programs for women. More information is available in the Women's Pillar section of the MEPI web site.

Political Participation and Civil Society Regional Campaign Schools. The United States is helping to create campaign schools that will provide leadership and organizational training for women seeking elective office. The International Republican Institute and the National Democratic Institute, with MEPI support, conducted the first of these political skills training courses, for more than 50 women from Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen in Doha in February 2004. The Partners in Participation program, of which the Doha school was the first event, hosted a second event in Morocco in July, and will host a third school in the region in the coming months.

Arab Women's Forum. The Egyptian Center for Women's Rights (ECWR) organized the first annual Arab Women's Forum in Cairo in May 2003 to discuss how to overcome obstacles faced by Arab women. MEPI is providing follow-up funding to ECWR to conduct subsequent training and activities with women's non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from across the region.

Empowering Women's Organizations in Jordan and Egypt. Two NGOs -- the American Near East Refugee Aid and the General Union of Voluntary Societies of Jordan -- will work together to improve the capacity of small- to medium-sized women's community-based organizations to participate effectively in political dialogue and democratic reform. The Center for Development and Population Activity will conduct a similar program for grassroots women's organizations in four governorates in Egypt, working in partnership with the National Council of Women.

Tribal Areas Local Council Pilot Program in Yemen. NGOs are helping to develop democratically run local councils in tribal areas. The program also will help women to participate in Yemeni political life.

International Exchanges. Under the State Department's International Visitor Program, hundreds of women, including NGO leaders, journalists, teachers, and government officials have traveled to the United States to participate in international exchanges. Programs have addressed a wide range of issues, such as NGO management, the role of legislators, the judiciary, and the rule of law. Programs such as Women in Business and the Professions and The Role of Women in Social and Political Affairs are designed exclusively for women.

Survey of Women's Freedom. The Freedom House Rights Consortium, on behalf of the United States, is conducting a comprehensive survey of the status of women's freedom throughout the Middle East, to be published in December 2005. More information is available on the Freedom House Web site.

Women and the Law

Arab Women and the Law Workshop. MEPI and the Government of Jordan hosted a workshop in Amman on women and law in February 2004. Nearly 90 women from 16 countries in the Middle East and North Africa region gathered to discuss key issues affecting women in the legal profession and to develop plans for future collaboration. At the end of the conference, MEPI announced it would support two follow-up activities: the establishment of a regional association for women in the legal profession and a public legal education campaign on women's rights and equality. These activities are part of a 2-year, $6.5-million joint program on the Rule of Law and Women and the Law to be implemented by the American Bar Association. More information is available on the Arab Judicial Forum web site.

Women's Legal Rights in Morocco. With MEPI support, NGOs are providing training to strengthen advocacy skills, develop institutional capacity, enhance legal literacy, and build outreach among organizations in different communities in Morocco, with a particular focus on the new family code, the Moudawana.

Economic Opportunities for Women

Business Internship Program for Young Middle Eastern Women. In early August 2004, 42 women from the Middle East arrived in the U.S. to begin the first business internship program. MEPI, in partnership with the Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), has arranged for these young professionals to attend a month-long academic program at Duke University and Emory University and to have three-month internships at Fortune 500 companies, law firms, and small- and medium-size companies. The program is designed to provide these young professionals the opportunity to acquire management and business skills and to learn more about the United States. For more information, please see the fact sheet, A U.S. Business Internship for Young Arab Women.

Middle East Entrepreneur Training (MEET). This program promotes entrepreneurship and small business development in the Middle East and North Africa. In June 2003, the program trained women entrepreneurs and small business owners. In September 2003, men and women in hospital administration participated. Future projects include a conference for women business leaders and the development of an alumnae network.

Educational and Women's Awareness Programs

Girls Scholarships in Morocco. MEPI funding to Comite de Soutien a la Scolarisation des Filles (CSSF), or the Rural Girls Educational Support Committee, is supporting 100 girls financially for three years to see them through middle school. CSSF and Moroccan NGOs will establish five new homes to ensure that the girls have safe and culturally acceptable living quarters near their school. This program is being extended to support another 100 girls in 2004.

Women's Functional Literacy. CARE Yemen will work with local communities to develop functional literacy programs designed to help women in agricultural production, savings and loan clubs, environmental management, maternal and child health (including HIV/AIDS awareness), political participation, and women's rights. Helen Keller International has provided literacy training to 20,000 women in the south of Morocco. MEPI also will support a $2-million program to develop materials to raise awareness of the new family code in Morocco (Moudawana).

Showcasing Women Through the Media. MEPI will fund the production and distribution of videos showcasing how women across the region have overcome societal barriers and how their communities as a whole have benefited, as a way to encourage other young Arab girls and women to follow suit. Video interviews will be collected from throughout the Middle East and distributed initially in Jordan through the Jordan Education Initiative, as well as through regional TV stations.

Partnerships With Other Programs

There are numerous joint programs through which the United States and MEPI partners support women throughout the Middle East. Some examples include:

Political Training. In Kuwait, the U.S.-Middle East Democracy Fund is sponsoring a program to train women activists to develop strategies for obtaining political rights for women, including the right to vote and run for elected office.

Media Training. Internews, an international NGO, provided 40 Jordanian, Palestinian, and Saudi journalists lessons in accuracy, objectivity, and balanced reporting. MEPI is also planning to work with Arab women news commentators and journalists to develop programs and productions to highlight women s issues and history.

Health Care. The 40-Day Program provides postpartum care to mothers and infants in Tunisia, Jordan, and the West Bank. Safe Motherhood and Child Survival programs provide antenatal and postpartum care, safe delivery, and treatment of obstetric complications to women in Egypt, Yemen, Jordan, and Morocco.

Microcredit Programs. Since 1996, the United States has given more than 34,000 micro-credit loans worth more than $13 million to Palestinian women entrepreneurs. These programs have helped thousands of women to build sustainable businesses.