In a recent conversation where a colleague made sweeping generalizations on what Arab women want, I
remembered a movie..”what women want” Mel Gibson takes us into the world of a PR agency that hires a women to unleash the secrets of marketing to women. I cannot speak for all women, what I can do is start my list and ask Arab women out there to contribute…
I want:
- an investment bank for women, run by women, that puts value on women’s ideas in the region, for the region.
- an Arab country where my children can live proud, vocal, secure, and peaceful,
- a Media that respects my values, pride in my heritage and lineage, my features, my traditional clothes, my modesty and lack of interest in looking 18 when I’m 42,
- a TV station that doesn’t assume I like trashy music videos, inconsequential series, and borrowed reality TV themes,
- a business culture that acknowledges local talent, run by professionals who believe the marketing slogans they put out and start living by them,
- a collective consciousness that appreciates our individual and collective potential as Arabs.. takes criticism with humility, celebrates our successes locally, regionally and globally,
- a society that sees the connection between excess and obesity, pollution and asthma, greed and heart ailment, emotional suppression and cancer,
- an outlook on non-working mothers as an asset .. an emotional comfort, the wise grandmothers, the nurturing mothers who provide the emotional foundation of our society,
- a memory of the way our grandparents and parents lived.. with less material possessions, and treasures of contentment,
- I want Google to stop advertising “girls in the UAE” ads when I browse the web!
many more.. and waiting to be inspired others out there..please pass it on. ..
Dear Ms. Chakaki,
Thanks for a Beautifully written piece.
As an Arab man I cannot agree more.
God bless all Arab mothers, aunts, sisters and daughters.
M. Tamari
Thank you Marwan… appreciate your support..
1. a university or post-secondary institution / center that focuses on Arab Women’s Studies (similar to Barnard)
2. a scholar that corrects misinterpreted Islamic texts on women’s rights
3. shawarma with brown bread and organic ingredients
4. a world-class museum of Arab and Palestinian heritage in the UAE (that is not a franchise) with a section on the role of women
5. a TV channel that shows independent films
6. removal of the وصية أمامة lesson from the educational system
7. the eradication of the access card in state-owned women-only universities / colleges
8. relief for Arab women from sole responsibility for the state of future generations and the birth of the next Salahuddin
9. sex education in Arab schools (obviously which takes into consideration nuances of society)
10. celebration of women in all sectors – mothers, grandmothers, teachers, nurses and nannies included with less emphasis on CEOs and window-dressing women politicians
Thank you Butheina!! what great contributions..
ladies.. bring on your ideas.. this is wonderful!
Nice… both of you have covered a lot of ground already… here’s my 2 cents:
1. A level playing field where we are judged for our knowledge & persona rather than appearance, race or sex.
2. More focus on our own diverse & beautiful cultures rather than the continuing move towards “westernization”.
3. Media that shows beauty’s different faces rather than the “one-(skinny)-size-fits-all” approach.
4. The freedom to go through life without harassment.
5. Stronger support networks for working mothers all over the world, especially more than just 30days maternity leave.
6. A non-secular society where we all come together to celebrate our diversity.
7. As Aretha said: R.E.S.P.E.C.T
8. Less judging of ourselves & others.
9. A mother’s day at least once a month.
10. Non-fattening chocolate & ice-cream.
1. Praying at AlAqsa for the secure life i’m having.
2. Founding an Arab Intercultural Broadcaster to spread the awareness of who we are and how Islam changed our life / definitely, to change the stereotype that Arabs and Muslims are terrorist!
3. Be the Dean of the Communication & Media College at Zayed University — one day i’ll reach that chair ;D
4. witnessing the day when Mariam Omran became the Provost of Zayed University — i need her support when i’m the Dean ^.^;;;
5. Creating an anime character to promote reading all over the world l believing that with knowledge poverty can be defeated.
6. Have my own well-educated family that help in passing the idea of recycling-ones-idea ( http://goo.gl/1xT1R ) is better than keeping it hidden and losing the idea with the time
7. investing my money in teaching people how to use social media effectively to be citizen journalists 🙂
8. ah! short term goal — finishing my PhD thesis! *sigh*
9. have share in Leica AG ^.^
10. became a wow underwater-photographer !
brilliant! we need to talk.. social media & citizen journalism, and go diving together.. good luck on your PHD
1- To be the first female/local Provost supported by the Dean of Communication to be Alyazia Khalifa ^^!
2- Apply for a highly ranked graduate school & find something I am passionate about.
3- Establish an applied R&D institute or government entity for applied research, inventions and innovations.
4- Educate and inspire people to be more passionate about education.
5- Having our educational curricula developed locally!
6- A trip around the world to learn, teach and be an example of a Muslim Arab.
7- Own a farm with horses to breed and ride! =D
8- Own an entrepreneurial incubator that will result in turning us from mass-consumers to mass-producers.
9- An Arab generation that believe in their own capabilities and stop the over-dependence on the westerners.
10- A country where everyone gets what they deserve. Fair and square.
Ameen! love the ideas..
1- Travel around the world (Antarctica is included)
2- Visit good universities in middle east like Dar Al Hekma in KSA and meet its professors/students
3- Visit the library in Harvard/US
4- Establish a library with only good scientific books
5- Buy National Geographic Magazine that is written by Arabs/Locals about everything in our region, not the current one where everything is translated from English to Arabic -.- . !
1. To be close to nature and to explore the world both land and sea.
2. A world where women are supportive of each other rather than being threatened by each other.
3. Financial comfort and the time to be with friends, family and all those who matter the most.
3. Being part of a world that works towards healing itself rather than self destruction.
4.The opportunity to enjoy the simpler side of life and to find contentedness in it.
5. Making a difference to people’s lives no matter how small a difference it is.
6. Being loved and loving back in return on a daily basis .
7. Ongoing learning no matter how old I get.
8. Real freedom of choice for women to taken on whatever role they choose without judgement.