Month: April 2013

Statement by Arab Women’s Organizations Participating in the Preparatory Meeting for the 57th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women in New York in 2013 Women from the Arab region participated and continue to contribute as equal partners to men in popular movements demanding democratic change. The effects and impact of these movements, […]

Delegates from Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Libya, Morocco, Yemen, Tunisia and Somalia to attend events at United Nations calling for an end to violence against women Cairo, EGYPT – The Karama organization announced today it would be marking International Women’s Day on March 8th, 2013 by leading a 20 member team of Arab women to New […]

Leading women activists from Syria, Libya, Jordan, Morocco, Palestine, Iraq, Somalia, Yemen and Egypt among those attending UN Women sponsored two-day event calling for tolerance and solidarityFebruary 10, 2013 Amman, JORDAN – The Karama organization announced today it has chosen Amman, Jordan to hold its first regional dialogue of 2013 titled, “The Arab Regional Consultation […]

In view of the leading role of Libyan women in the February 15th revolution, and in recognition of the great sacrifices made by the Libyan people in their quest for freedom, dignity and rights for both men and women, we regret to have noted systematic cases of human rights violations especially against women. Generally speaking, […]

      Attachment:   Size: ArabUprisingsHelpedorHarmedTTFAW.pdf   336 KB       Members of the Think Tank for Arab Women examine the role of new challenges to women’s rights as a result of the Arab uprisings and shifting political landscape, including the role of political Islam and the issues of women and conflict and […]

With the eyes of the U.S. media and lawmakers on Capitol Hill focusing on Thursday’s hearing into the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi which claimed the life of Ambassador Chris Stevens, I find myself in Tripoli for a three-day conference titled, “Libya Platform Peace: National Reconciliation, Security and constitution.” Among those attending: President […]

Remarks on National Reconciliation, Security and the Constitution to be delivered same day as Benghazi hearings on Capitol Hill (Tripoli, Libya) As key law makers in Washington DC gather on Capitol Hill Thursday for hearings on the attack in Benghazi that killed US Ambassador Chris Stevens, the Karama organization announced today that the president-elect of […]

The Libyan Women’s Platform for Peace, along with a coalition of other civil society groups, call on all Libyans to reject the recently-issued draft electoral law, which promises only a 10 percent quota for women in the key legislative body that will create a new Libyan constitution. To voice our strong objection, the Libyan Women’s […]

By Hibaaq Osman Jordan, in partnership with UN Women, is hosting a three-day conference (February 10-12) titled, “The Arab regional consultation on gender equality — freedom, tolerance and solidarity: a call from the women in the Arab region”. The meeting is held to shine light on the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which were first […]

AMMAN — Arab women have played an active part in the changes sweeping the region in the Arab Spring transition, but they should ensure their place in the post-conflict rebuilding process, activists said on Monday. “Women have been frontliners in the course of events witnessed in the region… the wall of fear is destroyed now […]

Karama organization in partnership with UN Women opens groundbreaking consultation on gender equality and human rights in Amman, Jordan Leading women activists from Syria, Libya, Jordan, Morocco, Palestine, Iraq, Somalia, Yemen and Egypt among those attending UN Women sponsored two-day event calling for tolerance and solidarityFebruary 10, 2013 Amman, JORDAN – The Karama organization announced […]

Cairo, Egypt — It’s been nearly two years since Syria’s dictator Bashar al Assad began his brutal assault on hundreds of thousands of people in Syria, a country of over 20 million people. Since the Arab uprisings began, women from Damascus to Aleppo have played a critical role in trying to build a better future […]

“I never thought in my lifetime I would see a revolution unfolding under my eyes. It was a moment of uncertainty and excitement,” said Hibaaq Osman when she sat down with DLD Women to speak more in-depth on the Egyptian revolution in February and the essential contributions of youth and social media. In her reflection, […]

A four-woman delegation from Jordan, including NGO representatives from Karama and its partners the Arab Women’s Organization and SIGI, participated in the Pre-Session Working Group of the CEDAW Committee at the UN this week sharing their concerns and identifying gaps in Jordan’s efforts to implement the articles of CEDAW and uphold the rights of women. […]

The Huffington Post recently published this op-ed by Karama CEO and Founder, Hibaaq Osman: Glued simultaneously to the TV, Blackberry, laptop, and my own windows, I watched Arab politics come back to life just a few short weeks ago. As someone who has devoted her life to promoting women’s human rights and political participation, I […]

Karama founder and CEO Hibaaq Osman was featured in this February 26 article from IPS News: The momentous events of Tahrir Square, Egypt also signify a huge step forward for gender equality in the region, women’s rights activists said Friday. Nora Rafeh Refa Tahtawi, a youth activist who participated in the Tahrir protests and is […]

From the Jordan Times: AMMAN ––– Despite being the main victims in regional armed conflicts, women are still excluded from playing a role in conflict resolution and peace negotiations, women’s rights leaders said on Tuesday. During the closing meeting of the Arab Women’s Intellectual Organisation, discussions focused on the impact of armed conflicts on women […]

Karama Founder and CEO Hibaaq Osman was recently featured on the Voice of America’s Somali website, in a podcast of her interview conducted with VOA journalist Houssein Aden regarding the status of Somali women and their fight for expanded rights. The interview can be accessed at VOA’s website here (in Somali), and is summarized (in […]

By Laila Azzeh for the Jordan Times AMMAN –– HRH Princess Basma on Wednesday underscored the significant role Arab women play in “influencing the formation of media discourse”. In her address at the opening of the 8th Arab Women Media Conference titled, “Arab Media, Women and their Strategic Role in the Elimination of Violence”, the […]

by Karama Founder and CEO Hibaaq Osman Appeared in Common Ground News, 27 July 2010 Cairo – In Somaliland’s 26 June presidential elections, voters were faced with a pivotal choice in determining their future prosperity, security, freedom and peace. On that date, which marked the 50th anniversary of Somaliland’s independence from British rule, citizens voted […]

Appeared in the Jordan Times 6 June 2010 By Laila Azzeh AMMAN – Legal experts and women activists on Saturday underlined the importance of the Family Protection Law as a step in the right direction, although they said the legislation did not live up to their expectations. During a training workshop to raise awareness on […]

The UN is creating a unified body to promote gender equality – and who better to lead it than an inspirational Arab woman? By Hibaaq Osman Appeared in the Guardian, Comment is Free 28 May 2010 When the history of the global struggle for women’s equality is written, 2010 may be remembered as the year […]

Op-ed by Karama Founder and Chair Hibaaq Osman Appeared 30 March 2010 in Common Ground News Cairo – In the halls of the United Nation’s New York bureau, officials have been considering a proposal to unify the UN’s many organisations promoting women’s equality and rights into a single “gender entity”. This entity would have a […]

Op-Ed by Hibaaq Osman, Founder and Chair of Karama Appeared 28 March 2010 in Bikya Masr Last month saw a setback for integration of Arab women in the workforce when members of Egypt’s State Council, the country’s highest legal authority, voted overwhelmingly to ban female law graduates from joining their ranks. While women have served […]

To read this story on the NGLS website click here. 1. How have efforts to implement the Beijing Platform for Action (BPFA) in the Arab region evolved since Beijing? Has this been satisfactory?

‘The Dignity of Women’ brings us the voices and views of women working to end violence against women in the Arab region. In collaboration with Karama organisations, the 5050 section of openDemocracy is providing a platform for their knowledge and experiences, increasing Arab women’s participation in global debate through articles, podcasts and blogs. We are […]