Ladies and Gentlemen,
Five years have passed since the launch of this Forum that embraces Arab women’s issues in all aspects, her joy and sorrow, ambitions and challenges, dreams and obstacles...These years have witnessed many ambitions, missions and visions… some were accomplished, and some are still underway. And perhaps more than just good intentions are required to turn ambitions into initiatives and a vision into tangible results, which will benefit the Arab woman in the foreseeable future. And this is the purpose behind setting up the New Arab Women Forum (NAWF) in its consecutive sessions.

MBC Group has always believed in the potential of Arab Women, and our determination to transform this belief into tangibles is paying off through active participation of women in public and private spheres, in economy and business, media and communications, sustainable development, and education, among others.

The Arab world has recently witnessed several developments which brought about change, transformation and reform, some of which were enough to strip off the artificial elements that once framed the role of Arab women for generations and limited their contributions to developing their societies. These developments have also shed the light on the importance of women’s role in achieving change and transformation, as we had seen their role wasn’t as different as the men’s in stirring the people’s movement. This was even applicable in “rigid” communities where people have been deprived of education, development, jobs and other basic rights. The Arab woman has realized that gaining recognition of her vital issues is not necessarily separate from the overall reform and development process that affects communities and supports collegial efforts in gaining rights. And now the question that remains is linked to the bigger challenge that faces Arab women post-change. So what really are the roles that the Arab woman is expected to play today, and tomorrow? And how will she fit in the phase of country development, institutionalization and promotion of citizenship and equality; considering her recent active role in driving the revolutions? And will she be able to maintain her leading role in the post-revolution phase? Or will she lose it to emerging and more powerful players in the field, who might not necessarily be among the fierce advocates of equality between men and women?

Such questions and more shall be addressed during the forum’s activities and workshops and discussions of our fellow panelists, hoping we can work together in finding the most appropriate answers and continue building on the progress achieved to-date, to help promote a role that the Arab woman truly deserves.