AWLI Training Helps Strengthen Arab Civil Society

Amman, Jordan - The Arab Women's Leadership Institute (AWLI) hosted civic leaders from throughout the Arab region at the Strengthening Women's Leadership in Civil Society: Advancing Community and Regional Economic Development training. The two-day training was led by AWLI Vice-Chair for Civil Society and Executive Director of the Women's Leadership Institute in Iraq Dr. Sundus Abbas and Mr. Gabriel Zinny, Senior Fellow at the Atlas Economic Research Foundation.

Zinny's presentation focused on a discussion of the state of economic development in Arab countries and how representatives of civil society could advocate for effective economic development policies in their communities. Abbas and Zinny challenged participants to think beyond the specific projects they implement in their regions, and to focus on larger policy initiatives on which they could advocate. As a practical exercise, participants formed cross-regional coalitions tasked with economically empowering women in rural areas through involvement in the electoral process.

Abbas concluded the training by leading the participants through exercises focused on creating effective strategic plans. Participants created mock plans for advocacy campaigns to improve the lives of impoverished women; strategic plans included campaign objectives, targeted results (i.e. the number of women they intended to reach), and the mechanisms they would utilize - such as providing loans to 500 women and three-year training plans - to reach those targets.

At the conclusion, the women praised the training and the exercises. Participants complained only that they desired more time to learn about their colleagues' experiences around the region.

AWLI supports the efforts of Arab women to increase women's participation in public life and the political process throughout the region. Through trainings and peer-to-peer networking, the Institute connects aspiring leaders to their counterparts in other Arab countries and helps them gain leadership, advocacy, management and governance skills enabling them to compete for leadership positions within their communities.

AWLI is funded through a grant from the National Endowment for Democracy and is led by a Governing Board whose members include Ms. Tami Longaberger from the United States, Dr. Eman Al Hussein from Jordan, Dr. Sundus Abbas from Iraq, Dr. Wajeeha Sadiq Al-Baharna from Bahrain, Dr. Lily Feidy from Palestine, and Dr. Najat Zorrouk from Morocco.