This event was not only MENA BWN’s first forum, but also one of a kind for the region. The emphasis was on the participants and their potential — not the speakers or even the forum’s patron, H. E. Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi, UAE Minister of Foreign Trade. Gihane Askar of the Vital Voices MENA team reflects on the MENA Businesswomen's Forum, held recently in Dubai. Read More

Reflections from Alyse Nelson at the MENA Businesswomen's Forum in Dubai: "These women are not waiting for peace or democratization — they are producing the future they imagine for their families and countries — through their companies." Read More

Just over a year ago, sitting around the table at the Vital Voices Policy Advocates workshop, we had to make an important choice: Which women’s rights issue should we tackle in Jordan? Read More

Imagine a world where one billion extra workers participate in local, national and global workforces. The potential impact on the global economy would be as great as that of the populations of China and India – if we could just activate this human resource. Read More

"What can Americans who want to stand in solidarity with women in the region do? How can and should Western governments assist?" Read More

Lys Anzia, founder of Women News Network, shares her thoughts on women in the Arab Spring, on the anniversary of the protests in Tahrir Square in Cairo. Read More

Eman Hashim of Egypt shares her thoughts on women in the Arab Spring, on the anniversary of the protests in Tahrir Square in Cairo.  Read More

Isobel Coleman, Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, shares her thoughts on women in the Arab Spring, on the anniversary of the protests in Tahrir Square in Cairo. Read More

Fida Ouri of Palestine shares her thoughts on women in the Arab Spring, on the anniversary of the protests in Tahrir Square in Cairo.  Read More

Manal Al-Sharif of Saudi Arabia shares her thoughts on women in the Arab Spring, on the anniversary of the protests in Tahrir Square in Cairo.  Read More