On Friday, April 25, 2025, the Mossawa Center launched the “Arab Women Leaders Network” project. The opening meeting, held at the Carmel Center in Haifa, saw the participation of a group of Arab women from various regions and professional backgrounds. The meeting aimed to foster connections, exchange experiences, and build a genuine support network among women leaders and pioneers in Arab society.
This project is a continuation of the Mossawa Center’s longstanding efforts to support and enhance women’s participation in public life. At the same time, it represents a new and qualitative step toward building a sustainable network of pioneering women, aimed at strengthening Arab women’s leadership, expanding circles of influence, and pushing for policy changes related to women’s representation.
During the meeting, Dr. Rawda Marcus Makhoul, the project coordinator, presented the objectives of the upcoming meetings and emphasized the importance of involving participants in shaping the program’s content based on their experiences and interests, to ensure that the network truly reflects their needs and aspirations.
The Director of the Mossawa Center, Jafar Farah, thanked the participants for joining, affirming that the Arab Women Leaders project is a continuation of Mossawa Center’s ongoing work over the years to strengthen women’s presence in decision-making positions and to increase their representation in centers of influence - a critical part of the advancement of the Arab community’s status. He also emphasized that the invitation remains open for more women leaders and pioneers to join the network.
The first meeting included an open dialogue, where participants actively engaged and provided valuable insights and suggestions that helped shape the project’s future directions. They discussed the challenges faced by Arab women in decision-making positions and proposed creative ideas to turn the network into a practical lever for change and renewal.
A key feature of the meeting was the direct and candid interaction among the participants, where each woman expressed her needs and vision, and showed a willingness to support others through the network. This spirit of partnership opened the door to building the content of upcoming meetings based on the women’s own experiences, reflecting the true essence of the genuine partnership upon which the project is based.
The meeting also included an inspiring story shared by Dr. Rana Zaher-Karini, who spoke about her experience as a leader in the academic and social fields. She highlighted the importance of building a professional identity, seizing the right opportunities, adopting a precise scientific approach, and maintaining a professional media presence.
This first meeting laid the foundation for the launch of a network aimed at enhancing women’s representation, producing local Arab feminist knowledge, and advocating for fair rights in the public, communal, and political spheres.
The Mossawa Center calls upon all women who see themselves as having a spirit of leadership, initiative, and a desire to make an impact to join the network and contribute to building a more just and inclusive reality.
It is worth noting that this project was initiated by the Mossawa Center, in partnership with the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, and with joint support from the European Union.
