Women from the Middle East and North Africa Join
Women's Democracy Network

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 1, 2007

Washington, D.C. - More than 35 women from nine countries in the Middle East, North Africa and the United States met in Amman, Jordan for a regional meeting of the International Republican Institute's (IRI) Women's Democracy Network (WDN). On February 20-22, conference participants attended panel discussions, training sessions and workshops on designing next steps for the WDN in the region.

U.S. Ambassador to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, David Hale, gave a warm welcome to participants at an opening reception. Ambassador Hale expressed the desire of the American people to not only help women in the Middle East and North Africa region but to learn from them. Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Karen Hughes also attended the reception.

IRI Board Members Cheryl Halpern and Gahl Hodges Burt moderated two panel presentations on the challenges and opportunities for women in politics and civil society in the Middle East and North Africa. The lively discussion featured women from six different countries in the region who presented the latest developments in their countries for women's political and civil society participation.

Under Secretary for Democracy and Global Affairs, Paula Dobriansky, sent a message of congratulations to the participants, conveying to the support of both the American people and the U.S. government. She congratulated the network for "fulfilling its promise to develop relationships among women leaders, giving them the opportunity to work together to develop the skills needed for leadership and professional advancement in their respective countries."

During a keynote address, Her Excellency Mrs. Suhair Al-Ali, Jordanian Minister of Planning and International Cooperation, spoke of the recent reforms undertaken by the government of Jordan to better empower women for success in all areas of life. She also spoke of the importance of empowering women throughout the Middle East region, noting that "just as women elsewhere have managed to individually and collectively succeed despite the obstacles facing them, women [in the Middle East and North Africa] can do so as well."

The two-day conference concluded with presentations on next steps for the Women's Democracy Network that were designed by the participants to reflect needs in individual countries. These activities include additional training programs and networking opportunities between women from different regions of the world.

The WDN is an initiative established by IRI to foster relationships among women leaders from around the world, providing them with opportunities to share experiences and develop the skills needed for professional advancement. The WDN encourages and supports women working to advance political, civic and economic participation in their countries, and create regional networks to strengthen their development.

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