1. Conferences and debates

Inicio / Vídeos / SDG 5: Gender equality in the the Middle East and North Africa

Síguenos también en Youtube

casa árabe en youtube

SDG 5: Gender equality in the the Middle East and North Africa

Publicado el 19 de mayo 2021

As part of the series of conferences on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) organized by Casa Árabe, on the upcoming date of May 19 we will be analyzing Goal 5, which seeks gender equality and the empowerment of women. The debate will be broadcast live for all audiences on our YouTubeand Facebook Live channels. Written in terms of “Achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls,” SDG5 is one of the most important for the Middle East and North Africa. The reason is that, according to the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report (2021), the region has the largest gender gap in the world (at around 40%), and ten of its countries rank among the bottom 15 on the list. Despite undeniable advancements attained in recent decades, it is impossible to speak of a homogeneous situation either between or within countries. Furthermore, the coexistence of certain factors at the present time cast doubt on these outcomes and highlights their fragility. In particular, the region is suffering from widespread public discontent, the rise of ultra-conservative movements, the spread of armed conflicts and, for more than a year now, COVID-19. All of these circumstances have raised the risks for women, who are more exposed than ever to violence, disease, premature wedlock and, on the whole, to their definitive relegation to the status of second-class citizens. What other challenges will be faced by those who strive for the effective, robust implementation of SDG5? At this event, we will be joined by three speakers who discuss gender issues in the Middle East and North Africa region: Lina Abirafeh, an expert on the prevention of and responses to gender violence in humanitarian and emergency contexts, Sama’a Al-Hamdani founder and executive director of the Yemen Cultural Institute for Heritage & Arts, and Asma Khalifa, an activist and researcher in the field of human rights, women and youth empowerment. The session will be moderated by Olivia Orozco, Casa Árabe’s Economics and Training Coordinator. Lina Abirafeh is the Executive Director of the Arab Institute for Women (AiW) at the Lebanese American University (LAU). Lina completed her PhD at the London School of Economics (LSE) and, on the basis of her research, published “Gender and International Aid in Afghanistan: The Politics and Effects of Intervention.” Abirafeh is a board member at several organizations (SheDecides, Forced Migration Review, Society of Gender Professionals and Greenpeace MENA, as well as others). In 2018, she was one of two Arab women included on the list “Gender Equality Top 100: The Most Influential People in Global Policy,” on which she was named again in 2019. She has recently focused her work on the need for a feminist response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on Arab women and girls. Asma Khalifa is a Libyan activist and researcher devoted to creating a structure for civil society and peace building in her country. As a non-Arab, Amazigh Libyan who grew up under Colonel Gaddafi’s rule, she witnessed the negative impact of discrimination and violence against women. In 2016, she was awarded with the Luxembourg Peace Prize and a year later was named one of the “100 Most Influential Young Africans” at the Africa Youth Awards. Khalifa is also a co-founder of the Tamazight Women’s Movement, a group for thought and action which works on gender equality and research about indigenous women in Libya and North Africa. Sama’a Al-Hamdani is the founder and executive director of the Yemen Cultural Institute for Heritage & Arts. As an art curator, she has been concerned with recovering the unique art forms and heritage of Yemen. In August 2019, she took part in a pilot program involving women in conflict (Women in Conflict 1325 Fellowship), which focused on “The Arts as a Tool for Peacebuilding.” At present, she is a non-resident analyst at the Middle East Institute (MEI), whose main work deals with Yemen’s political dynamics. Prior to joining MEI, she was a visiting researcher at Georgetown University’s Center for Contemporary Arab Studies (CCAS), specializing in Transitional Justice, and a researcher at the Yemen-headquartered Sana’a Center for Strategic Studies (SCSS). She has had articles published by Arab world and Western media and groups of experts, including Al-Monitor, the Lawfare blog, Brookings Institution, The National (UAE), MENAsource (Atlantic Council Blog), Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, Fikra Forum, The Middle East Institute Journal, Yemen Observer and the Yemen Times, as well as others. More info: https://en.casaarabe.es/event/sdg-5-gender-equality-in-the-arab-world

TODOS LOS VÍDEOS DE ESTA CATEGORÍA

Policies and Strategies for Tourism Development in the MENA Region (OS)

Casa Árabe and the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) have organized this fourth edition of a ministerial round table discussion on “Tourism Development Policies and Strategies in the MENA Region: Sustaining Growth through Shocks,” with the support of IFEMA and Fitur 2016, as part of the Fitur International Tourism Trade Fair of 2016. The debate taking place analyzed current trends and short-terms prospects for tourism in the region -within the context of a regional state of turmoil and the persistent uncertainty about world economic prospects-, as well as the strategies and measures to be implemented in order to improve security in the tourism industry, to accelerate and strengthen the sector’s recovery and sustained growth, to promote the competitiveness of tourist destinations and to promote investments. This year, participating in the debate for the first time were the Ministers of Tourism of Algeria, Jordan and Sudan, in addition to the Tourism Ministers of Morocco, Lebanon and Palestine. The event was officially opened by the Secretary General of the UNWTO, Taleb Rifai, the State Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Ignacio Ybáñez Rubio, the Director General of Turespaña, Marta Blanco Quesada, and Pedro Villena, the General Director of Casa Árabe. More info: http://en.casaarabe.es/event/policies-and-strategies-for-tourism-development-in-the-mena-region

Publicado el 27 de enero 2016
The Stars of Sidi Moumen (FRENCH)

Visual artist and writer Mahi Binebine presented this cultural project to fight against radicalization in Morocco. Sidi Moumen, on the periphery of Casablanca, is sadly known as the neighborhood where the young kamikazes who carried out the terrorist attacks in that city on May 16, 2003 grew up. However, ten years later, it is also in this neighborhood that families of the terrorists’ victims, as well as the families of the kamikazes themselves, were able to meet for the first time, at the initiative of the Ali Zaoua Foundation, during a debate over the fight against radicalization and the paths towards forgiveness. Those responsible for this unusual event were the filmmaker Nabil Ayouch and the writer and visual artist Mahi Binebine. Moved by the need to fight against radicalization and build bridges between the inhabitants of disadvantaged neighborhoods in Moroccan cities and the rest of the people, these two intellectuals created the Ali Zaoua Foundation in 2009. Convinced that this connection can be built through the arts and culture, the foundation has started up several initiatives to allow youths who are socially excluded to express themselves through channels other than violence and to discover spaces for dialogue. The Stars of Sidi Moumen is precisely one of these initiatives. It is a cultural center set up in the neighborhood, where youth training is provided in the fields of art, dance, theater, etc. It is also a meeting point with the rest of the people in the city of Casablanca, because it regularly hosts shows and activities put on with the cooperation of Moroccan and international performers and artists. More info: http://en.casaarabe.es/event/the-stars-of-sidi-moumen

Publicado el 27 de enero 2016
Today’s Arab comics as seen by their authors

As a complement to the exhibition “Pens and Cartoons: Arab comics in motion,” two representatives of the vibrant, cutting-edge scene of comics and graphic novels in the Arab world give this talk: Lina Ghaibeh, an illustrator and professor at the American University of Beirut, and Issam Smiri, a graphic designer, illustrator and author of comics. Through a dialogue guided by the exhibition’s curator, Pedro Rojo, we get a first-hand account about the details in the creative process which these artists follow, the environment in which these works are produced and circulate within and around Arab countries, and the local audiences’ viewpoints and opinions on these stories. More info: http://en.casaarabe.es/event/today’s-arab-comics-as-seen-by-their-authors

Publicado el 27 de enero 2016
The Resolution on the Partition of Palestine and Its Consequences: from 1947 to the present (ARABIC)

On the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, this conference was given by Mustafa Kabha. In his presentation, Kabha, a history professor at the Open University of Israel, was accompanied by Mussa Amer Odeh, head of the Diplomatic Mission of Palestine in Spain, and Pedro Villena, the General Director of Casa Árabe. The conference dealed with United Nations Resolution 181, adopted on November 29, 1947, in which the partition of Palestine into two states was decided, on the basis of recommendations made by the Special Palestine Commission. Through a historical focus, the consequences of that decision will be examined throughout the course of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict from 1947 to date, as well as analyzing its in becoming part of the foundation for a future resolution of the conflict. The event will be held within the framework of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. More info: http://en.casaarabe.es/event/international-day-of-solidarity-with-the-palestinian-people#13566

Publicado el 03 de diciembre 2015
The Syrian refugee crisis: response and management by neighboring countries

This round table discussion, titled “The Regional Dimension of the Refugee Crisis in Syria (II): Response and management by neighboring countries,” is the second in a series of two encounters organized by Casa Árabe to discuss this matter. At the first, which took place on November 3, the refugee crisis was analyzed from a regional perspective, while also examining the socio-economic impact of the crisis and humanitarian aid. The goal of this new gathering is to analyze the way in which neighboring countries are dealing with this situation and the measures which they are implementing to find a solution. Participating in the event will be Omer Onhon, the Ambassador of Turkey in Spain; Hala Helou, an advisor to the Lebanese Minister of Social Affairs on humanitarian topics and international relations; Nayef Faraj, an advisor to the Embassy of Jordan in Spain, and Rafael de Prado, head of the Office of Humanitarian Action, attending as a substitute for the AECID. The event will be moderated by Miguel Ángel de Frutos, an ambassador and international advisor for Casa Árabe. At the beginning of the round table discussion, an excerpt of the film “Hany’s Story” will be shown. It was produced and directed by Zahra Mackaoui, in a co-production between the UNHCR and Channel 4 (plot summary below). More info: http://en.casaarabe.es/event/the-syrian-refugee-crisis-response-and-management-by-neighboring-countries

Publicado el 03 de diciembre 2015