Arab Women and Democracy: A Symbiotic Relationship

By Dima Toukan

I joined the Middle East Partnership Initiative’s (MEPI) Regional Office in Abu Dhabi in the Summer of 2005 as the Political/Women’s Issues Specialist.  As a Jordanian citizen full of passion for democratic change, I was eager to be part of MEPI’s effort to promote democracy.  I wasn’t, however, very excited about the second half of my title.  I wanted to help support meaningful democratic reform and wasn’t interested in seeing that effort watered down by “women’s issues.” After all, the most fundamental obstacle to democracy in Arab countries is not discrimination against women, but the fact that all citizens – including men – have unacceptably limited political rights.  Even if Arab women were to succeed completely in obtaining rights equal to those enjoyed today by Arab men, they would still be a long away from having what citizens require to participate in a full and functioning democracy.

Jordan, for example, is having elections later this month.  A number of women have decided to run pinning their hope on the current quota.  When some of them win, their victory will likely have been largely on the strength of their “tribal” support rather than on the strength of their message.  When the women arrive to Parliament, they will then – like their male counterparts – struggle to make a difference from inside a weak institution with minimal powers.  Given the central problem that the current election law poses to Jordan’s democracy, why focus support on women?  Keeping in mind that Jordan is ahead of some of its neighbors when it comes to democratic reform, and that numerous other fundamental challenges to democracy exist throughout the region for women and men, shouldn’t MEPI focus on supporting those seeking fundamental democratic reforms rather than those seeking women’s empowerment?  I certainly believed so, especially given my concern that regimes anxious to appear progressive but preserve autocratic powers would gladly siphon off pressure to reform by allowing various initiatives to educate and “empower” women; while forestalling meaningful reform that would empower all citizens with significant political rights.

While I still believe these are legitimate concerns, my logic was too simplistic!  What I failed to understand back in 2005 is that support for women will not just close gaps with men; it will help build and propel democracy.  Two years into working in the MEPI office, I’ve certainly come to understand that democracy is not only for the people, it’s built by the people.  Not only are women half of those people, they often are – or quickly become - the more motivated half!  Their disadvantaged starting point at times becomes a source of determination and strength that is vital to this building process that needs the understanding and help of all citizens.  As women turn personal concerns into public issues, democracy grows.  A Kuwaiti woman who ran in 2006 Parliamentary elections on a purely “women’s issues” platform failed to win the election, but she did force her rival male candidate to incorporate that issue into his own agenda.  Now a post-election MEPI project in Kuwait will work to strengthen women’s influence as a political constituency between elections, as well.  The project will strengthen not only women, but the engagement between parliamentarians and all their constituents.

I’ve found that once women understand democracy and what it could mean for them, many are eager to participate and help it grow.  In Qatar, a former professor carried out a voter education program ahead of the Central Municipal Council elections there last April.  She engaged women university student volunteers (already being trained on political and civic activism) in a civic campaign to encourage Qatari women to register and vote. Perhaps a modest effort to affect a country plagued by political apathy, but I couldn’t help believing that this project had something to do with the high ratio of women registering to vote. To my own astonishment, women actually outnumbered men in some constituencies!

Social and cultural customs entrenched in the minds of both Arab women and men (often in the name of religion) remain a main hindrance to political participation.  An amazing MEPI-funded project that was kicked off recently by the Yemeni Women Union aims to help tackle this problem.  Women preachers from 10 governorates will examine the importance of differentiating between religion and custom, including when it comes to political rights.  In the process, these women will receive instruction on the principles of democracy and human rights and then engage in activities to expand the impact of the project to the general public.  Here, religious opinion-makers are driving a project that will help foster a culture of democracy and encourage women to engage in politics and public life, and dispelling long-held ideas about Islam’s aversion to women’s political participation.

There are a number of practical advantages through which Arab women can help advance democracy in the Arab world.  In countries with a dearth of NGOs (largely a consequence of restrictive legal environments), women’s groups often constitute most of what civil society has been allowed to exist and are positioned to help establish new norms for organized citizen participation and activism.  Women NGOs in such countries are at the forefront of citizen engagement; and MEPI is there supporting many groups that formerly were principally involved in social services and charity, but now want to learn to contribute to democratic change. 

In every country of the region we now find women and women’s groups who want to be engaged in changing mindsets, promoting participation in public life, and even leading efforts for democratic change.  Whether it is thousands of Emirati women marching to support Breast Cancer awareness (a first, pro-active step many of them had ever taken on any issue) or a handful of determined Yemeni women journalists fighting corruption and regressive press laws, Arab women are embracing change and MEPI is helping their efforts while democracy grows.  Women are clearly developing a political consciousness and the belief that their destiny can and should lie in their hands.  This mindset – in women and men alike - is a critical building block for the success of Arab democracy. 
The real challenge for democracy promotion in the Arab world is to convince citizens that they have an interest, a right, and an ability to help bring needed change to their societies.  I no longer discount women’s role in this process.  Today I believe in it, working with others at MEPI to help Arab women in the important role they play alongside men - and sometimes ahead of them – in advancing democratic change.