A lot is happening in the UAE at the moment: conferences and exhibitions
of all sorts that always keep those participating occupied – and many of
those interested, mostly left out. The last two weeks, for instance saw not
one, but two significant conferences about women in the Arab world. The first
happened last week at Emirates Palace, and in which more than 15 First Ladies
from the Arab world participated. The other, “Gender and Economics in MENA:
From Theory to Policy Making” was organised by the Dubai School of
Government, in association with the World Bank and the Centre for Arab Women
for Training and Research.
In Dubai, researchers and academics from all over the Arab world (and further
west, too) met to discuss the need for the region to have gender-specific
research in order to draw up policies that are non-discriminatory towards
women. There was unanimous agreement that gender studies should be taught in
institutions of higher education in the Arab world so that female-male
dynamics could be better understood and so that regional societal
relationships could be investigated more completely.
The passionate discussions and debates that happened at Dubai’s conference
were invaluable for those interested in improving the lot of Arab women. The
participants were acutely aware of the regional problems relating to women,
and the barriers hindering the advancement of their cause.
However, when it was all over, I found myself wondering about the impact of
such conferences. They might be perfect places for researchers and academics
working in this area to network and build valuable working relationships, but
there was little opportunity for other interested people to participate
fully.
This is unfortunate. A lot of talent, energy, and insightful input – as well
as good work – could be lost if conferences like these do not reach out to
the younger generation of women. It is all very well reading about what
happened in the press afterwards, but attending and interacting with other
activists is considerably more effective.
I do have to admit, though, that the Dubai women’s conference – in one
respect at least – was more accessible than its Abu Dhabi counterpart. For a
start, I was able to get a press pass. After two weeks of constant pleading
to try and get accredited in Abu Dhabi I was left fuming without a ticket,
and wondering why full-page advertisements were being taken out in several local
newspapers right up to the day of the conference if public access was
restricted.
That said, great strides have been taken by policy makers, especially in the
UAE, to advance the cause of women in the region. Nevertheless, there seems
to be something of a gap opening up, between researchers and policy makers on
the one hand, and between policy makers and the public on the other.
Policy makers and government officials must reach out to academics and
researchers if they hope to create scientifically-based solutions to the
region’s problems. The public must also be taken into account during the
decision-making process, if it is really the ordinary citizen’s standing that
they hope to improve.
One might argue that those who influence the public policy process (such as
government officials, FNC members and ministers) already attend these
conferences, so the “average” Arab woman who also goes along would at least
be contributing to the dialogue, if not actually influencing legislation. For
if it is not the concerns of such “average” Arab women that the conferences
are trying to address, then who is being targeted by the policies and
recommendations that are put forward?
It was also most timely that during Monday’s meeting of the Federal National
Council, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, the Vice-President and ruler of Dubai,
urged members to interact with citizens if they want to be effective in
Emirati society. I genuinely hope that his ringing declaration will be taken
to heart and that policy making will become something that is not just
discussed behind closed doors any more. Allowing the public greater access to
conferences in the region might be the best place to start the process of
integrating women and empowering Emirati youth to make productive change.
After all, it is today’s younger generation who will be expected to be the
torch bearers of change in the future, and it is the involvement of women
from all sectors of society who can provide an alternative voice and a new
narrative to the journey of change in the country.So much so, that a recent
United Nations report on Arab development declared that “the rise of Arab
women is a prerequisite to an Arab renaissance”. That kind of change, I am
sure, we can all look forward to. But first, we have to involve (and empower)
those who have been consistently excluded.