Amman, March 17, 2014 – Jordanians will be asked in two public forums this week to decide if Arab women get a raw deal, following recent surveys that gave the region poor marks for gender equality.
The events, organised by the New Arab Debates (NAD), a high-profile regional platform, will discuss the motion: “The Arab world is no place for women”.
Award-winning television journalist Tim Sebastian, who founded the NAD in 2011, will moderate the English version of the motion on Wednesday, March 19, with Dr. Sabri Rbeihat, former minister of political development and of parliamentary affairs arguing for the motion against Dr. Salma Nims, executive coordinator for Taqaddam Platform, a secular movement seeking a more democratic and environmentally-conscious Jordan.
A day later, Egyptian TV presenter Mai El Sherbiny will present the Arabic version with two female members of the Lower House of Parliament. Deputy and TV presenter Dr. Rula Hroub will be arguing for the motion against MP Wafa’a Bani Mustafa.
Both debates will be recorded at 7 pm at the Royal Cultural Centre in Amman and attended by university students, politicians and activists.
Commenting on the upcoming debates, Sebastian says: “Women are at risk of human rights violations the world over. But what are the specific dangers they face in the Arab world? Have Arab governments done enough to protect them? Is the situation getting better or worse? Vital questions that need to be debated in the heart of the Arab region.”
The third season of the debates is funded by the Norwegian and British governments and broadcast on Deutsche Welle TV in English and Arabic, along with its global and regional network of partners including Egypt’s ONTV, Ro’ya TV in Jordan, Hanibal in Tunisia, and Watan TV in Ramallah.
The NAD was established to foster free speech and democratic accountability after the revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt.