MENA Women Activists Witness the 2008 Race to U.S. Presidency

Forty-four women political leaders from the Middle East and North Africa Region experienced the historic 2008U.S. Presidential Elections first hand.  Sponsored by the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI), women participants from the UAE, Bahrain, Jordan, Lebanon, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Yemen,  and Algeria, enjoyed attending sessions in Washington on the U.S. Government and political system, elements of  democratic societies, and electoral systems in the U.S. and the MENA region.  Participants also learned about campaigning and election procedures, and went through an overview of the Obama – McCain campaigns.  During this 11-day program, the women visited congressional offices, the State Department, and a number of politically active non-government organizations.  Last but not least, they got to observe the last days of political races and watch the final results of the voting.

These politically active women enthusiastically started their program after they had a meeting with President George Bush, where they engaged in talks about democracy and U.S. support for women's empowerment, women's initiatives in the region, and the economy. They also met with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice.   During their scheduled visit to Portland, Maine, they discussed women’s political involvement - or lack thereof - in their respective countries, and their future plans to encourage women’s participation in the public sector.  One Saudi participant submitted two articles to the Saudi Arab News, highlighting quotes from President Bush during his meeting with the group and narrating encounters of her personal enriching trip as a participant of the MEPI- sponsored U.S. Election Exchange program.  

The program was covered in U.S. and regional press such as Arab News Article 1 and Arab News Article 2,  Portland Press Herald, the U.S. State Department.