Rice University’s Baker Institute will host its first International Conference on Gender and Human Rights in the Middle East on April 24, 2014. The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is undergoing a major transformation not only at the political level but also — and most importantly — on societal and ideological levels. This conference aims to ignite discussion about the roles of Arab women in the political, economic and private spheres, and to shed light on the evolution of these roles over the past few decades. A cross-disciplinary dialogue, guided by leading scholars and policymakers in the field, will investigate topics ranging from citizenship to domestic violence across the region. The conference will provide practical and specific policy prescriptions guided by a balanced, multifaceted perspective on gender relations in the Middle East.
To view the full program and participants' bios, click here.
Agenda
8:00 amRegistration and Breakfast
9:00 amWelcoming Remarks
Marwa Shalaby, Ph.D.
Director, Women and Human Rights in the Middle East Program, Baker Institute
Keynote Address
Valentine Moghadam, Ph.D.
Director, International Affairs Program, and Professor of Sociology, Northeastern University
Break
10:00 amPanel I — Islamic Law and Gender Equality
Moderator: Rita Stephan, Ph.D., Georgetown University
Gail Buttorff, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, University of Kansas; and Contributing Scholar, Women and Human Rights in the Middle East Program, Baker Institute
Amira Sonbol, Ph.D.
Professor of History, Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service in Qatar
Ayesha Chaudhry, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Islamic Studies and Gender Studies, University of British Columbia
Lunch
1:15 pmPanel II — Agency and Women's Empowerment
Moderator: Marwa Shalaby, Ph.D., Baker Institute
Bozena Welborne, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, University of Nevada, Reno; and Contributing Scholar, Women and Human Rights in the Middle East Program, Baker Institute
Alessandra L. González, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Research Associate, James Madison Program, Department of Politics, Princeton University
Lindsay J. Benstead, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Division of Political Science, Mark O. Hatfield School of Government, Portland State University
Break
3:15 pmPanel III — Societal Change Post-Arab Spring
Moderator: Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, Ph.D., Baker Institute
Dina Kiwan, Ph.D.
Associate Professor; Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Media Studies; American University of Beirut
Valentine M. Moghadam, Ph.D.
Director, International Affairs Program, and Professor of Sociology, Northeastern University
Wanda Krause, Ph.D.
Former Assistant Professor and Coordinator, Gulf Studies Program, Qatar University
To view the full conference, please click on the links to the videos below:
Gender and Human Rights in the Middle East: The Evolving Roles of Women in the Arab World 1
Gender and Human Rights in the Middle East: The Evolving Roles of Women in the Arab World 2
Gender and Human Rights in the Middle East: The Evolving Roles of Women in the Arab World 3
Gender and Human Rights in the Middle East: The Evolving Roles of Women in the Arab World 4