women have proven that they are constantly striving, not only to empower them at the individual level, but to advance their gender and educate them through various initiatives that the country has witnessed during the past years, perhaps the most recent of which is the “Girls for Girls” program, which Incubated by the Women’s Cultural Association as an initiative of Harvard University graduates, since 2020 in Kuwait.
In the Al-Qabas Diwaniya, in the presence of fellow editor-in-chief Walid Abdullatif Al-Nisf, the members of the program confirmed that the goal of the G4G program is to give women more awareness of the need to empower them politically, economically and socially, and give them the necessary tools to achieve their right to be empowered in leadership and supervisory positions in various sectors, through The program that offers a series of lectures in this aspect.
Bedaya, the director of the program in Kuwait, Nabila Abu Hantash, spoke about the future plans of the program by expanding the number of participations and including the participation of all segments of society.
Abu Hantash indicated that the program seeks to establish partnerships with private institutions to start giving the program in the private sector, pointing out that the plan includes a partnership contract with a university and a school as well.
She said: I am interested in moving to the most marginalized segment of women, and they are the economically weakest women, pointing out that the program gives the necessary skills to develop the economic level of women.
Abu Hantash indicated that, according to the data available to her, she tried to elicit the percentage of empowered women in leadership positions, whether in public or private institutions or public benefit associations, indicating that what she concluded was that the real percentage was much lower than what was announced.
In turn, a member of the Women’s Cultural Association, and one of the program’s first founding participants, Dalal Marafie, said that the program is now in its fourth session, and each session includes 6 different lectures on various fields concerned with women’s empowerment and awareness.
Marafie pointed out that the program hosts successful personalities to talk about the program’s axes, including courageous leadership, the art of communication, negotiations, upgrading positions and ethics in decision-making and others, stressing that the program works to expand the participants’ perceptions, by building a new segment that enhances self-confidence, and defense About her right and ways of dealing, communication and other skills.
Committees and special initiatives
For her part, a member of the Women’s Cultural Association, Sharifa Al-Khamis, said that the association participates in many committees and private and governmental initiatives concerned with empowering women, and provides studies and solutions in this direction, but in the end it is up to the official’s direction, noting that women face a dilemma. In the mindset of some officials who do not favor the empowerment of women in a position, and prefer to grant it to a man for various considerations, stressing that some officials need to raise awareness of the importance of empowering women.
Al-Khamis indicated that fruitful cooperation is required between civil society institutions and all concerned institutions in the country, pointing out that the association welcomes initiatives such as the G4G initiative.
In response to a question about the delay in empowering women, Al-Khamis indicated that the situation of women is part of the general situation in society, pointing out that the state of society suffers from a delay in some areas and women are part of it, in addition to educational development and the extent of attention to human capital, whether At the level of human beings in general or women in particular.
For her part, a member of the social media team in the program, Fakhriya Al-Awadi, spoke about her experience as a participant in the beginning and then a member, pointing out that she joined the program in August 2021, explaining that the idea of giving lectures by hosting successful personalities was distinguished, to enrich dialogue and discussion with successful personal experiences. Posts.
Al-Awadi indicated that her view of many aspects of women has changed thanks to the program, which prompted her to volunteer within the program team, stressing that she learned from the program confidence, setting goals, which makes it easier for her to reach the result, as well as the art of communication.
Objectives of the initiative
01- Giving women more awareness
02- Giving women the necessary tools to achieve their right to leadership and supervisory positions
03- Empowering women politically, economically and socially
In response to a question from the editor-in-chief Walid Al-Nisf about the importance of the quota for women, Nabila Abu Hantash indicated that the application of the quota system is a necessity in society, saying that all the literature on the fair participation of women in society is unanimously agreed that the presence of women enhances values and morals, while institutions are less corrupt. .
The image of women in the curriculum
Dalal Marafie said that there is a need to enhance the image of successful women in school curricula, especially prominent women figures, whether in the country who contributed to prominent stations in Kuwait, or even historical figures who left their mark.
Sharifa al-Khamis indicated that the decision regulating the entry of women into the army is unconstitutional, stressing that the Cultural Association announced its opinion in this regard, while Marafie said that it contradicts the principle of personal freedoms stipulated in the constitution.
