Claiming Equal Citizenship

OK…after weeks of hectic activity, the campaign is officially live… and kicking if I might add.

The “Claiming Equal Citizenship” international campaign launched with fanfare on Sep 6, 2006. The fanfare in this case was a panel discussion on “Women as Equal Citizens: Advocating for Change in Muslim-Majority Societies.” Panelists included Lina Abou-Habib (CRTD.A, Lebanon), Mahnaz Afkhami (WLP, USA/Iran), Asma Khader (SIGI/J, Jordan), and Amina Lemrini (ADFM, Morocco).

The original plan was that introductory remarks were to be given by Azar Nafisi, the Director of SAIS Dialogue Project. (Side note: Her book Reading Lolita in Tehran seems to have permanently parked itself on many bestseller lists.) But, her plane was delayed. So, she ended up delivering the conclusion instead. All else went smoothly.

The panel discussion was very illuminating. The speakers presented the many sides of the campaign - from the international to the regional and the national. What came across loud and clear for me was how the source and the energy for the campaign emanate from within the region. The women, from six different countries, joined hands across national boundaries and launched a campaign to reclaim their places within their own societies. In solidarity, WLP is working to provide international visibility for these national and regional campaigns.

If you missed the event, don’t you worry. We have lots of audio and video materials that we will post as soon as we can. So watch this space. For now, we have posted some photos on flickr. You can view them at http://www.flickr.com/photos/learningpartnership/sets/72157594277602932/. On second thoughts, do tell me - why did you miss the event in the first place?

The campaign also got on the airwaves this week - through NPR no less. NPR’s Jacki Lyden did a report called “Fighting the Good Fight for Women’s Rights” on All Things Considered. It featured Women’s Learning Partnership’s transnational partners meeting. With that, the campaign also got a good bit of coverage. (Didn’t I say the campaign was kicking already? )

This then is just the beginning…

Entry Filed under: Activities, Events