The difference women make

Tuesday morning the National Democratic Institute and Saban Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Insitution co-hosted a discussion with members of parliament from Jordan, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia. The panelists were Rabia Najlaoui, the youngest member of the Tunisian National Constituent Assembly; Fatiha Mouknii, Moroccan Member of Parliament representing the Istiqlal party; Moussa Faraj, member of the Libyan General National Congress; and Reem Abu Dalbouh, Member of Jordanian Parliament. Tamara Cofman Wittes, Director of the Saban Center for Middle East Policy and a Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution, moderated the discussion.

Rabia Najlaoui (Tunisia): The Arab Spring made it clear that women are not passive victims. They are protestors, journalists, and activists. Women played a critical role in the revolution. But soon after they were marginalized. April 2011 saw the enforcement of the zipper rule requiring that names on ballots alternate by gender.  94% of electoral lists listed a man first.

The new Tunisian constitution guarantees the equality of men and women before the law. Articles 21, 35, and 46 state that women must be represented in all elected bodies. The state also guarantees that it will take all necessary measures to eradicate violence against women. But this commitment is not enough. The government also has to implement these laws. Promises on paper are not enough.

Tunisia needs more than just a a lot of women in parliament. It also needs a high quality of women – strong, pro-women’s rights female MPs. There are examples in the Tunisian parliament where female MPs voted against pro-women laws. This sets women back. Numbers alone are not enough to empower women politically. It is the role of civil society to raise consciousness and to help produce leaders who are able to represent women and work effectively in parliament.

Fatiha Mouknii (Morocco): Women need to be empowered in the home as well as in the public sphere, which is why the personal status code is so important. The family is the nucleus of society. If a woman isn’t empowered in her own home, how can she be an empowered actor in the public sphere? King Mohamed VI listened to the demands of the Moroccan people in the constitutional reform in 2011. Now the government is addressing the issue of gender inequality. There are parliamentary committees to address this and political parties that are drafting laws. Amendment 175 of the Penal Code addresses the issue of statutory rape in Morocco. Before this was changed, a man would not be punished for rape if he married the girl he raped. Now, a man cannot get away with rape. Women’s rights reforms are happening in Morocco.

There is a quota in Parliament for women MPs. There are currently 67 female MPs. In 1993 there were no female MPs. Currently there are two female heads of parties and a woman heads a major economic institution. The High Commission for Broadcasting is also led by a woman. Women still need to get to the top of electoral lists. There is only one female minister in the country. In addition, women MPs must persuade and cooperate with male MPs. Civil society can play an important role in this.

Moussa Faraj (Libya) represented a very different voice from the three female panelists. He claimed that women enjoy an evolved status in Libya today. He cited the examples of his wife with a degree in French and his daughter who is a doctor. He said that 80% of law school students are women and 34 of the Libyan MPs are women (17%). Generational change in women’s status in Libya is creating greater literacy and freedom. 60% of the Arab world is under 30 years old. Youth have raised expectations for education, employment, and quality of life. Time will solve the issue of gender inequality.

Reem Abu Dalbouh (Jordan): It is important to remind young generations of the experience and struggles older women have faced. Through the 1950s and 60s onwards Jordan has had a fruitful experience in advancing women’s rights. It was maturity of the political system that supported the amendments for women’s empowerment. King Abdullah II endorses increased political participation of women.  Jordan was one of the first countries in the Middle East to legally protect women against domestic violence. Additionally, an amendment to article 341 now criminalizes honor killings. When it comes to personal status laws, Jordan must provide full, comprehensive amendments. Recently the age of marriage has been elevated to 18 years.

Tamara Wittes concluded that it can be difficult to define or mark progression in women’s empowerment.