WASHINGTON, May 3 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Twenty-one young female attorneys
from Kuwait, Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates and West Bank are in court
today in Jordan. No, they are not on trial. They are conducting one. These
women are participating in moot court -- preparing legal briefs, testimony and
arguments in a mock trial of famed poet Khalil Ghibran's love, Egyptian author
May Ziadeh -- as a way to become better legal practitioners.
It is part of WILpower, a new Women In Law program developed and managed by
Washington-based AED with support from the U.S. Department of State's Middle
East Partnership Initiative (MEPI).
"Facilitating a moot-court session is just one way that AED is providing
professional, hands-on training to female Arab legal practitioners, ages
22-35," said El Houcine Haichour, Ph.D, AED director, learning and
technology/Middle East North Africa education and youth specialist, and
WILpower program director. "In addition, on-site regional trainings like this
one are bolstered by WILpower's online activities, including monthly webinars
by local legal experts whom AED identifies and recruits."
"The great news is that trainees aren't only using lessons learned in-person
and online to train female colleagues back home," said Amy West, AED's
WILpower project manager and the source of many innovations to the program
since its inception over a year ago. "They're posting their newfound
knowledge on Facebook, spreading the word globally,"
"WILpower was formed to support the professional and personal development of
young Arab female legal practitioners through a regional network that
increases technical legal expertise; keeps women engaged in critical family
law, criminal law, commercial law, and international law issues; and inspires
the next generation of legal practitioners to promote and advance the role of
women in the law," said Katharine Bartels, who manages women-focused
programming with MEPI.
Notable female presenters at today's training included a representative from
the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights -- Women's Rights &
Gender Unit, a female judge in Jordan's Ministry of Justice, and a Jordanian
attorney and entrepreneur. Jordan plays a primary role because its Queen
Rania Center for Entrepreneurship is a critical partner in the program.
The project's first face-to-face training was held in Jordan, in January 2009.
There were 22 female participants (eight Lebanese, eight Palestinians and six
Kuwaitis) who learned core skills in three areas: legal practice, leadership
and entrepreneurship. Trainees studied quality English/Arabic legal research,
writing and oral argumentation skill-building activities,
business/entrepreneurial skills (i.e. how to start up a law firm or legal
research center) and more.
These trainings are supported by online webinars and discussion forums on
commercial, criminal, family and international law issues by legal experts and
thought leaders, on the WILpower Web site (www.womeninlaw.net).
Project managers report that following the first training, participants went
home and trained 105 female colleagues in the West Bank (Ramallah and Nablus),
80 in Lebanon (Beirut and Tripoli), and 35 in Kuwait. There has also been
significant interest in the project by the legal community in the United Arab
Emirates (UAE), leading to the inclusion of six female Emirati participants in
today's training, who were chosen from a slew of applicants. Their story will
be told in an upcoming feature piece by reporter Marten Youssef, in The
National, a newspaper in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
To hear firsthand how the program helped one Lebanese trainee break down
barriers to her legal career, visit http://www.womeninlaw.net/voices.
AED. AED is a nonprofit organization working globally to improve education,
health, social and economic development -- the foundation of thriving
societies. Focusing on the underserved, AED's worldwide staff of 2000
implements more than 250 programs serving people in all 50 U.S. states and
more than 150 countries. For details visit www.aed.org.
U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, Office of the Middle
East Partnership Initiative (MEPI). The WILpower project is funded by the
U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, Office of the Middle
East Partnership Initiative (MEPI). MEPI supports efforts to expand political
participation, strengthen civil society and the rule of law, empower women and
youth, create educational opportunities, and foster economic reform throughout
the Middle East and North Africa. In support of these goals, MEPI works with
non-governmental organizations, the private sector, and academic institutions,
as well as governments. More information about MEPI can be found at:
www.mepi.state.gov. The opinions, findings, and conclusions stated herein are
those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the United States
Department of State.
SOURCE AED
Sanda Pecina of AED, +1-202-884-8538, specina@aed.org; or Olivia Ricchi of the
U.S. Department of State Middle East Partnership Initiative, +1-202-776-8697,
ricchioa@state.gov
