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Eunice Atuejide’s face dripped hot sweat as she gesticulated toward a group of other female politicians gathered before her. They stood still, their face muscles taut with determination, as they chanted in unison: “No women, no nation!” It was a call to arms for Nigeria’s female politicians gathered at the 2018 General Elections Aspirants Summit (GEAS) in Abuja in August, held to support them in the country’s national polls next year. And it’s a call that’s resonating like never before.

For decades, Nigerian politics has remained a male stronghold, often snuffing out challenges from women even before they can seriously contest for top political posts. But as Africa’s most populous nation and largest economy heads toward its 2019 national elections, Nigeria’s women are making an unprecedented push to upturn a political system that has so far denied them.

Atuejide, a lawyer and businesswoman, is one of three female candidates who have won nominations from their parties to contest the February presidential elections. Oby Ezekwesili, a chartered accountant, and Funmilayo Adesanya-Davies, a linguistics professor, are the other two who will join Atuejide in a field with 34 male candidates, including President Muhammadu Buhari. Never before has more than one woman contested in any Nigerian presidential election.

Nigeria’s female politicians are also receiving unprecedented financial support. The Nigerian Women’s Trust Fund (NWTF), founded in 2011 by public and private sector individuals to help female politicians fund campaigns, first received a grant of $15,000 in 2015 from the African Women’s Development Fund, which supports women’s groups. In July 2018, the AWDF increased the support to $138,800. Agencies like U.N. Women, through an advocacy program called Women and Democracy in Nigeria, are backing these efforts.

Click here to read the full article published by Ozy on 15 November 2018.

Eunice Atuejide’s face dripped hot sweat as she gesticulated toward a group of other female politicians gathered before her. They stood still, their face muscles taut with determination, as they chanted in unison: “No women, no nation!” It was a call to arms for Nigeria’s female politicians gathered at the 2018 General Elections Aspirants Summit (GEAS) in Abuja in August, held to support them in the country’s national polls next year. And it’s a call that’s resonating like never before.

For decades, Nigerian politics has remained a male stronghold, often snuffing out challenges from women even before they can seriously contest for top political posts. But as Africa’s most populous nation and largest economy heads toward its 2019 national elections, Nigeria’s women are making an unprecedented push to upturn a political system that has so far denied them.

Atuejide, a lawyer and businesswoman, is one of three female candidates who have won nominations from their parties to contest the February presidential elections. Oby Ezekwesili, a chartered accountant, and Funmilayo Adesanya-Davies, a linguistics professor, are the other two who will join Atuejide in a field with 34 male candidates, including President Muhammadu Buhari. Never before has more than one woman contested in any Nigerian presidential election.

Nigeria’s female politicians are also receiving unprecedented financial support. The Nigerian Women’s Trust Fund (NWTF), founded in 2011 by public and private sector individuals to help female politicians fund campaigns, first received a grant of $15,000 in 2015 from the African Women’s Development Fund, which supports women’s groups. In July 2018, the AWDF increased the support to $138,800. Agencies like U.N. Women, through an advocacy program called Women and Democracy in Nigeria, are backing these efforts.

Click here to read the full article published by Ozy on 15 November 2018.

Eunice Atuejide’s face dripped hot sweat as she gesticulated toward a group of other female politicians gathered before her. They stood still, their face muscles taut with determination, as they chanted in unison: “No women, no nation!” It was a call to arms for Nigeria’s female politicians gathered at the 2018 General Elections Aspirants Summit (GEAS) in Abuja in August, held to support them in the country’s national polls next year. And it’s a call that’s resonating like never before.

For decades, Nigerian politics has remained a male stronghold, often snuffing out challenges from women even before they can seriously contest for top political posts. But as Africa’s most populous nation and largest economy heads toward its 2019 national elections, Nigeria’s women are making an unprecedented push to upturn a political system that has so far denied them.

Atuejide, a lawyer and businesswoman, is one of three female candidates who have won nominations from their parties to contest the February presidential elections. Oby Ezekwesili, a chartered accountant, and Funmilayo Adesanya-Davies, a linguistics professor, are the other two who will join Atuejide in a field with 34 male candidates, including President Muhammadu Buhari. Never before has more than one woman contested in any Nigerian presidential election.

Nigeria’s female politicians are also receiving unprecedented financial support. The Nigerian Women’s Trust Fund (NWTF), founded in 2011 by public and private sector individuals to help female politicians fund campaigns, first received a grant of $15,000 in 2015 from the African Women’s Development Fund, which supports women’s groups. In July 2018, the AWDF increased the support to $138,800. Agencies like U.N. Women, through an advocacy program called Women and Democracy in Nigeria, are backing these efforts.

Click here to read the full article published by Ozy on 15 November 2018.

Eunice Atuejide’s face dripped hot sweat as she gesticulated toward a group of other female politicians gathered before her. They stood still, their face muscles taut with determination, as they chanted in unison: “No women, no nation!” It was a call to arms for Nigeria’s female politicians gathered at the 2018 General Elections Aspirants Summit (GEAS) in Abuja in August, held to support them in the country’s national polls next year. And it’s a call that’s resonating like never before.

For decades, Nigerian politics has remained a male stronghold, often snuffing out challenges from women even before they can seriously contest for top political posts. But as Africa’s most populous nation and largest economy heads toward its 2019 national elections, Nigeria’s women are making an unprecedented push to upturn a political system that has so far denied them.

Atuejide, a lawyer and businesswoman, is one of three female candidates who have won nominations from their parties to contest the February presidential elections. Oby Ezekwesili, a chartered accountant, and Funmilayo Adesanya-Davies, a linguistics professor, are the other two who will join Atuejide in a field with 34 male candidates, including President Muhammadu Buhari. Never before has more than one woman contested in any Nigerian presidential election.

Nigeria’s female politicians are also receiving unprecedented financial support. The Nigerian Women’s Trust Fund (NWTF), founded in 2011 by public and private sector individuals to help female politicians fund campaigns, first received a grant of $15,000 in 2015 from the African Women’s Development Fund, which supports women’s groups. In July 2018, the AWDF increased the support to $138,800. Agencies like U.N. Women, through an advocacy program called Women and Democracy in Nigeria, are backing these efforts.

Click here to read the full article published by Ozy on 15 November 2018.

Eunice Atuejide’s face dripped hot sweat as she gesticulated toward a group of other female politicians gathered before her. They stood still, their face muscles taut with determination, as they chanted in unison: “No women, no nation!” It was a call to arms for Nigeria’s female politicians gathered at the 2018 General Elections Aspirants Summit (GEAS) in Abuja in August, held to support them in the country’s national polls next year. And it’s a call that’s resonating like never before.

For decades, Nigerian politics has remained a male stronghold, often snuffing out challenges from women even before they can seriously contest for top political posts. But as Africa’s most populous nation and largest economy heads toward its 2019 national elections, Nigeria’s women are making an unprecedented push to upturn a political system that has so far denied them.

Atuejide, a lawyer and businesswoman, is one of three female candidates who have won nominations from their parties to contest the February presidential elections. Oby Ezekwesili, a chartered accountant, and Funmilayo Adesanya-Davies, a linguistics professor, are the other two who will join Atuejide in a field with 34 male candidates, including President Muhammadu Buhari. Never before has more than one woman contested in any Nigerian presidential election.

Nigeria’s female politicians are also receiving unprecedented financial support. The Nigerian Women’s Trust Fund (NWTF), founded in 2011 by public and private sector individuals to help female politicians fund campaigns, first received a grant of $15,000 in 2015 from the African Women’s Development Fund, which supports women’s groups. In July 2018, the AWDF increased the support to $138,800. Agencies like U.N. Women, through an advocacy program called Women and Democracy in Nigeria, are backing these efforts.

Click here to read the full article published by Ozy on 15 November 2018.

Dr. Moudi Abdul Aziz AlHumoud (PhD) is a women’s rights advocate from Kuwait. She is one of the first women to hold ministerial positions in her country, first as Minister of State for Housing and Planning and later as Minister for Education and Higher Education. She has also served as President of the Arab Open University and Dean of the College of Administration at Kuwait University. Dr. AlHumoud participated in the Annual Conference on Women and Leadership organized by the Women’s Research and Studies Center at Kuwait University in partnership with the General Secretariat of the Supreme Council for Planning and Development and supported by UNDP Kuwait and the UN Women Regional Office for the Arab States.

How was your experience as one of the first Kuwaiti women who assumed a leadership position in the country?

I was pretty active in the women’s movement since I graduated as a PHD back in the 1980’s. There was a huge women’s movement, we were campaigning for women’s rights, labour rights and political participation. I knew what I wanted to achieve for women in Kuwait. I also had a great support from my male colleagues at the University. We were only two female faculty members in the Business School back then. Later on, I had the support of male colleagues in the government. I had a number of male mentors who supported me in my career. I tried to work hard for my rights as a woman and for my professional career and luckily I have succeeded.

What do you think are the main challenges for women and girls to access leadership roles?

The first challenge for any woman is that we have to create a balance between our personal life and our career. I am a wife and a mother of five children. I have to keep my family and keep my career and this balance is very difficult to achieve. The second challenge is the social acceptance of women acting in positions of power. This is not easy. When I was promoting women’s rights, I had to participate in debates, television interviews and public lectures and most of the participants were men. Sometimes they thought I was against the social norms or trying to break the boundaries; whereas in fact I was only asking for our rights in society. But slowly they started to accept. The third challenge is that you have to convince your colleagues and employees that you will be good as a female boss. You have to prove yourself and others that you have the necessary capacity. Lastly, we have an additional challenge, in that as a woman it is very difficult to network with men, particularly according to the usual ways of networking in this society. You have to find alternative ways to connect with people, with men, employees. My approach was to write a weekly column in a national newspaper.

How has the situation of women changed in Kuwait in the last decade?

One of the most important milestones for Kuwaiti women in the last years was gaining full political rights. In addition, the increase in the percentage of women’s participation in the labour force. We have also seen an increase in the participation of women in management and decision-making positions in the private sector and the government. This is a social change that needs time and awareness. For instance, when I took office in the Ministry of Education, I pushed to have a higher number of Kuwaiti girls obtaining scholarships to study abroad. This has contributed to creating a difference in society.

In terms of policy what change would you like to see for women and girls in Kuwait?

We still need government support for women. I would like to see more than one female parliament member. I would like to see more than two female ministers in the cabinet. We have to put more pressure on our decision-makers to promote the access of women to higher positions in the State administration. We still have a lot of work to do on legislation. For example, the adoption of a nationality law to allow women to pass their nationality to their children and laws to improve women’s access to land and loans.

How can we engage men to support women’s empowerment in Kuwait?

Many of the things that I have achieved throughout my life have been possible in part thanks to the support of men in different capacities. Starting with my father, my husband later, my male colleagues at the university and eventually my colleagues in the government. I would like to see this kind of coaching for all qualified females in the country. Men can play a big role in supporting women to access leadership positions and to be empowered. Male leaders have to promote equality of opportunities and they have to believe in women’s abilities to make a difference in society and support them to achieve their goals.

Source: UN Women.

Dr. Moudi Abdul Aziz AlHumoud (PhD) is a women’s rights advocate from Kuwait. She is one of the first women to hold ministerial positions in her country, first as Minister of State for Housing and Planning and later as Minister for Education and Higher Education. She has also served as President of the Arab Open University and Dean of the College of Administration at Kuwait University. Dr. AlHumoud participated in the Annual Conference on Women and Leadership organized by the Women’s Research and Studies Center at Kuwait University in partnership with the General Secretariat of the Supreme Council for Planning and Development and supported by UNDP Kuwait and the UN Women Regional Office for the Arab States.

How was your experience as one of the first Kuwaiti women who assumed a leadership position in the country?

I was pretty active in the women’s movement since I graduated as a PHD back in the 1980’s. There was a huge women’s movement, we were campaigning for women’s rights, labour rights and political participation. I knew what I wanted to achieve for women in Kuwait. I also had a great support from my male colleagues at the University. We were only two female faculty members in the Business School back then. Later on, I had the support of male colleagues in the government. I had a number of male mentors who supported me in my career. I tried to work hard for my rights as a woman and for my professional career and luckily I have succeeded.

What do you think are the main challenges for women and girls to access leadership roles?

The first challenge for any woman is that we have to create a balance between our personal life and our career. I am a wife and a mother of five children. I have to keep my family and keep my career and this balance is very difficult to achieve. The second challenge is the social acceptance of women acting in positions of power. This is not easy. When I was promoting women’s rights, I had to participate in debates, television interviews and public lectures and most of the participants were men. Sometimes they thought I was against the social norms or trying to break the boundaries; whereas in fact I was only asking for our rights in society. But slowly they started to accept. The third challenge is that you have to convince your colleagues and employees that you will be good as a female boss. You have to prove yourself and others that you have the necessary capacity. Lastly, we have an additional challenge, in that as a woman it is very difficult to network with men, particularly according to the usual ways of networking in this society. You have to find alternative ways to connect with people, with men, employees. My approach was to write a weekly column in a national newspaper.

How has the situation of women changed in Kuwait in the last decade?

One of the most important milestones for Kuwaiti women in the last years was gaining full political rights. In addition, the increase in the percentage of women’s participation in the labour force. We have also seen an increase in the participation of women in management and decision-making positions in the private sector and the government. This is a social change that needs time and awareness. For instance, when I took office in the Ministry of Education, I pushed to have a higher number of Kuwaiti girls obtaining scholarships to study abroad. This has contributed to creating a difference in society.

In terms of policy what change would you like to see for women and girls in Kuwait?

We still need government support for women. I would like to see more than one female parliament member. I would like to see more than two female ministers in the cabinet. We have to put more pressure on our decision-makers to promote the access of women to higher positions in the State administration. We still have a lot of work to do on legislation. For example, the adoption of a nationality law to allow women to pass their nationality to their children and laws to improve women’s access to land and loans.

How can we engage men to support women’s empowerment in Kuwait?

Many of the things that I have achieved throughout my life have been possible in part thanks to the support of men in different capacities. Starting with my father, my husband later, my male colleagues at the university and eventually my colleagues in the government. I would like to see this kind of coaching for all qualified females in the country. Men can play a big role in supporting women to access leadership positions and to be empowered. Male leaders have to promote equality of opportunities and they have to believe in women’s abilities to make a difference in society and support them to achieve their goals.

Source: UN Women.

Dr. Moudi Abdul Aziz AlHumoud (PhD) is a women’s rights advocate from Kuwait. She is one of the first women to hold ministerial positions in her country, first as Minister of State for Housing and Planning and later as Minister for Education and Higher Education. She has also served as President of the Arab Open University and Dean of the College of Administration at Kuwait University. Dr. AlHumoud participated in the Annual Conference on Women and Leadership organized by the Women’s Research and Studies Center at Kuwait University in partnership with the General Secretariat of the Supreme Council for Planning and Development and supported by UNDP Kuwait and the UN Women Regional Office for the Arab States.

How was your experience as one of the first Kuwaiti women who assumed a leadership position in the country?

I was pretty active in the women’s movement since I graduated as a PHD back in the 1980’s. There was a huge women’s movement, we were campaigning for women’s rights, labour rights and political participation. I knew what I wanted to achieve for women in Kuwait. I also had a great support from my male colleagues at the University. We were only two female faculty members in the Business School back then. Later on, I had the support of male colleagues in the government. I had a number of male mentors who supported me in my career. I tried to work hard for my rights as a woman and for my professional career and luckily I have succeeded.

What do you think are the main challenges for women and girls to access leadership roles?

The first challenge for any woman is that we have to create a balance between our personal life and our career. I am a wife and a mother of five children. I have to keep my family and keep my career and this balance is very difficult to achieve. The second challenge is the social acceptance of women acting in positions of power. This is not easy. When I was promoting women’s rights, I had to participate in debates, television interviews and public lectures and most of the participants were men. Sometimes they thought I was against the social norms or trying to break the boundaries; whereas in fact I was only asking for our rights in society. But slowly they started to accept. The third challenge is that you have to convince your colleagues and employees that you will be good as a female boss. You have to prove yourself and others that you have the necessary capacity. Lastly, we have an additional challenge, in that as a woman it is very difficult to network with men, particularly according to the usual ways of networking in this society. You have to find alternative ways to connect with people, with men, employees. My approach was to write a weekly column in a national newspaper.

How has the situation of women changed in Kuwait in the last decade?

One of the most important milestones for Kuwaiti women in the last years was gaining full political rights. In addition, the increase in the percentage of women’s participation in the labour force. We have also seen an increase in the participation of women in management and decision-making positions in the private sector and the government. This is a social change that needs time and awareness. For instance, when I took office in the Ministry of Education, I pushed to have a higher number of Kuwaiti girls obtaining scholarships to study abroad. This has contributed to creating a difference in society.

In terms of policy what change would you like to see for women and girls in Kuwait?

We still need government support for women. I would like to see more than one female parliament member. I would like to see more than two female ministers in the cabinet. We have to put more pressure on our decision-makers to promote the access of women to higher positions in the State administration. We still have a lot of work to do on legislation. For example, the adoption of a nationality law to allow women to pass their nationality to their children and laws to improve women’s access to land and loans.

How can we engage men to support women’s empowerment in Kuwait?

Many of the things that I have achieved throughout my life have been possible in part thanks to the support of men in different capacities. Starting with my father, my husband later, my male colleagues at the university and eventually my colleagues in the government. I would like to see this kind of coaching for all qualified females in the country. Men can play a big role in supporting women to access leadership positions and to be empowered. Male leaders have to promote equality of opportunities and they have to believe in women’s abilities to make a difference in society and support them to achieve their goals.

Source: UN Women.

Dr. Moudi Abdul Aziz AlHumoud (PhD) is a women’s rights advocate from Kuwait. She is one of the first women to hold ministerial positions in her country, first as Minister of State for Housing and Planning and later as Minister for Education and Higher Education. She has also served as President of the Arab Open University and Dean of the College of Administration at Kuwait University. Dr. AlHumoud participated in the Annual Conference on Women and Leadership organized by the Women’s Research and Studies Center at Kuwait University in partnership with the General Secretariat of the Supreme Council for Planning and Development and supported by UNDP Kuwait and the UN Women Regional Office for the Arab States.

How was your experience as one of the first Kuwaiti women who assumed a leadership position in the country?

I was pretty active in the women’s movement since I graduated as a PHD back in the 1980’s. There was a huge women’s movement, we were campaigning for women’s rights, labour rights and political participation. I knew what I wanted to achieve for women in Kuwait. I also had a great support from my male colleagues at the University. We were only two female faculty members in the Business School back then. Later on, I had the support of male colleagues in the government. I had a number of male mentors who supported me in my career. I tried to work hard for my rights as a woman and for my professional career and luckily I have succeeded.

What do you think are the main challenges for women and girls to access leadership roles?

The first challenge for any woman is that we have to create a balance between our personal life and our career. I am a wife and a mother of five children. I have to keep my family and keep my career and this balance is very difficult to achieve. The second challenge is the social acceptance of women acting in positions of power. This is not easy. When I was promoting women’s rights, I had to participate in debates, television interviews and public lectures and most of the participants were men. Sometimes they thought I was against the social norms or trying to break the boundaries; whereas in fact I was only asking for our rights in society. But slowly they started to accept. The third challenge is that you have to convince your colleagues and employees that you will be good as a female boss. You have to prove yourself and others that you have the necessary capacity. Lastly, we have an additional challenge, in that as a woman it is very difficult to network with men, particularly according to the usual ways of networking in this society. You have to find alternative ways to connect with people, with men, employees. My approach was to write a weekly column in a national newspaper.

How has the situation of women changed in Kuwait in the last decade?

One of the most important milestones for Kuwaiti women in the last years was gaining full political rights. In addition, the increase in the percentage of women’s participation in the labour force. We have also seen an increase in the participation of women in management and decision-making positions in the private sector and the government. This is a social change that needs time and awareness. For instance, when I took office in the Ministry of Education, I pushed to have a higher number of Kuwaiti girls obtaining scholarships to study abroad. This has contributed to creating a difference in society.

In terms of policy what change would you like to see for women and girls in Kuwait?

We still need government support for women. I would like to see more than one female parliament member. I would like to see more than two female ministers in the cabinet. We have to put more pressure on our decision-makers to promote the access of women to higher positions in the State administration. We still have a lot of work to do on legislation. For example, the adoption of a nationality law to allow women to pass their nationality to their children and laws to improve women’s access to land and loans.

How can we engage men to support women’s empowerment in Kuwait?

Many of the things that I have achieved throughout my life have been possible in part thanks to the support of men in different capacities. Starting with my father, my husband later, my male colleagues at the university and eventually my colleagues in the government. I would like to see this kind of coaching for all qualified females in the country. Men can play a big role in supporting women to access leadership positions and to be empowered. Male leaders have to promote equality of opportunities and they have to believe in women’s abilities to make a difference in society and support them to achieve their goals.

Source: UN Women.

Dr. Moudi Abdul Aziz AlHumoud (PhD) is a women’s rights advocate from Kuwait. She is one of the first women to hold ministerial positions in her country, first as Minister of State for Housing and Planning and later as Minister for Education and Higher Education. She has also served as President of the Arab Open University and Dean of the College of Administration at Kuwait University. Dr. AlHumoud participated in the Annual Conference on Women and Leadership organized by the Women’s Research and Studies Center at Kuwait University in partnership with the General Secretariat of the Supreme Council for Planning and Development and supported by UNDP Kuwait and the UN Women Regional Office for the Arab States.

How was your experience as one of the first Kuwaiti women who assumed a leadership position in the country?

I was pretty active in the women’s movement since I graduated as a PHD back in the 1980’s. There was a huge women’s movement, we were campaigning for women’s rights, labour rights and political participation. I knew what I wanted to achieve for women in Kuwait. I also had a great support from my male colleagues at the University. We were only two female faculty members in the Business School back then. Later on, I had the support of male colleagues in the government. I had a number of male mentors who supported me in my career. I tried to work hard for my rights as a woman and for my professional career and luckily I have succeeded.

What do you think are the main challenges for women and girls to access leadership roles?

The first challenge for any woman is that we have to create a balance between our personal life and our career. I am a wife and a mother of five children. I have to keep my family and keep my career and this balance is very difficult to achieve. The second challenge is the social acceptance of women acting in positions of power. This is not easy. When I was promoting women’s rights, I had to participate in debates, television interviews and public lectures and most of the participants were men. Sometimes they thought I was against the social norms or trying to break the boundaries; whereas in fact I was only asking for our rights in society. But slowly they started to accept. The third challenge is that you have to convince your colleagues and employees that you will be good as a female boss. You have to prove yourself and others that you have the necessary capacity. Lastly, we have an additional challenge, in that as a woman it is very difficult to network with men, particularly according to the usual ways of networking in this society. You have to find alternative ways to connect with people, with men, employees. My approach was to write a weekly column in a national newspaper.

How has the situation of women changed in Kuwait in the last decade?

One of the most important milestones for Kuwaiti women in the last years was gaining full political rights. In addition, the increase in the percentage of women’s participation in the labour force. We have also seen an increase in the participation of women in management and decision-making positions in the private sector and the government. This is a social change that needs time and awareness. For instance, when I took office in the Ministry of Education, I pushed to have a higher number of Kuwaiti girls obtaining scholarships to study abroad. This has contributed to creating a difference in society.

In terms of policy what change would you like to see for women and girls in Kuwait?

We still need government support for women. I would like to see more than one female parliament member. I would like to see more than two female ministers in the cabinet. We have to put more pressure on our decision-makers to promote the access of women to higher positions in the State administration. We still have a lot of work to do on legislation. For example, the adoption of a nationality law to allow women to pass their nationality to their children and laws to improve women’s access to land and loans.

How can we engage men to support women’s empowerment in Kuwait?

Many of the things that I have achieved throughout my life have been possible in part thanks to the support of men in different capacities. Starting with my father, my husband later, my male colleagues at the university and eventually my colleagues in the government. I would like to see this kind of coaching for all qualified females in the country. Men can play a big role in supporting women to access leadership positions and to be empowered. Male leaders have to promote equality of opportunities and they have to believe in women’s abilities to make a difference in society and support them to achieve their goals.

Source: UN Women.

Dr. Moudi Abdul Aziz AlHumoud (PhD) is a women’s rights advocate from Kuwait. She is one of the first women to hold ministerial positions in her country, first as Minister of State for Housing and Planning and later as Minister for Education and Higher Education. She has also served as President of the Arab Open University and Dean of the College of Administration at Kuwait University. Dr. AlHumoud participated in the Annual Conference on Women and Leadership organized by the Women’s Research and Studies Center at Kuwait University in partnership with the General Secretariat of the Supreme Council for Planning and Development and supported by UNDP Kuwait and the UN Women Regional Office for the Arab States.

How was your experience as one of the first Kuwaiti women who assumed a leadership position in the country?

I was pretty active in the women’s movement since I graduated as a PHD back in the 1980’s. There was a huge women’s movement, we were campaigning for women’s rights, labour rights and political participation. I knew what I wanted to achieve for women in Kuwait. I also had a great support from my male colleagues at the University. We were only two female faculty members in the Business School back then. Later on, I had the support of male colleagues in the government. I had a number of male mentors who supported me in my career. I tried to work hard for my rights as a woman and for my professional career and luckily I have succeeded.

What do you think are the main challenges for women and girls to access leadership roles?

The first challenge for any woman is that we have to create a balance between our personal life and our career. I am a wife and a mother of five children. I have to keep my family and keep my career and this balance is very difficult to achieve. The second challenge is the social acceptance of women acting in positions of power. This is not easy. When I was promoting women’s rights, I had to participate in debates, television interviews and public lectures and most of the participants were men. Sometimes they thought I was against the social norms or trying to break the boundaries; whereas in fact I was only asking for our rights in society. But slowly they started to accept. The third challenge is that you have to convince your colleagues and employees that you will be good as a female boss. You have to prove yourself and others that you have the necessary capacity. Lastly, we have an additional challenge, in that as a woman it is very difficult to network with men, particularly according to the usual ways of networking in this society. You have to find alternative ways to connect with people, with men, employees. My approach was to write a weekly column in a national newspaper.

How has the situation of women changed in Kuwait in the last decade?

One of the most important milestones for Kuwaiti women in the last years was gaining full political rights. In addition, the increase in the percentage of women’s participation in the labour force. We have also seen an increase in the participation of women in management and decision-making positions in the private sector and the government. This is a social change that needs time and awareness. For instance, when I took office in the Ministry of Education, I pushed to have a higher number of Kuwaiti girls obtaining scholarships to study abroad. This has contributed to creating a difference in society.

In terms of policy what change would you like to see for women and girls in Kuwait?

We still need government support for women. I would like to see more than one female parliament member. I would like to see more than two female ministers in the cabinet. We have to put more pressure on our decision-makers to promote the access of women to higher positions in the State administration. We still have a lot of work to do on legislation. For example, the adoption of a nationality law to allow women to pass their nationality to their children and laws to improve women’s access to land and loans.

How can we engage men to support women’s empowerment in Kuwait?

Many of the things that I have achieved throughout my life have been possible in part thanks to the support of men in different capacities. Starting with my father, my husband later, my male colleagues at the university and eventually my colleagues in the government. I would like to see this kind of coaching for all qualified females in the country. Men can play a big role in supporting women to access leadership positions and to be empowered. Male leaders have to promote equality of opportunities and they have to believe in women’s abilities to make a difference in society and support them to achieve their goals.

Source: UN Women.

Dr. Moudi Abdul Aziz AlHumoud (PhD) is a women’s rights advocate from Kuwait. She is one of the first women to hold ministerial positions in her country, first as Minister of State for Housing and Planning and later as Minister for Education and Higher Education. She has also served as President of the Arab Open University and Dean of the College of Administration at Kuwait University. Dr. AlHumoud participated in the Annual Conference on Women and Leadership organized by the Women’s Research and Studies Center at Kuwait University in partnership with the General Secretariat of the Supreme Council for Planning and Development and supported by UNDP Kuwait and the UN Women Regional Office for the Arab States.

How was your experience as one of the first Kuwaiti women who assumed a leadership position in the country?

I was pretty active in the women’s movement since I graduated as a PHD back in the 1980’s. There was a huge women’s movement, we were campaigning for women’s rights, labour rights and political participation. I knew what I wanted to achieve for women in Kuwait. I also had a great support from my male colleagues at the University. We were only two female faculty members in the Business School back then. Later on, I had the support of male colleagues in the government. I had a number of male mentors who supported me in my career. I tried to work hard for my rights as a woman and for my professional career and luckily I have succeeded.

What do you think are the main challenges for women and girls to access leadership roles?

The first challenge for any woman is that we have to create a balance between our personal life and our career. I am a wife and a mother of five children. I have to keep my family and keep my career and this balance is very difficult to achieve. The second challenge is the social acceptance of women acting in positions of power. This is not easy. When I was promoting women’s rights, I had to participate in debates, television interviews and public lectures and most of the participants were men. Sometimes they thought I was against the social norms or trying to break the boundaries; whereas in fact I was only asking for our rights in society. But slowly they started to accept. The third challenge is that you have to convince your colleagues and employees that you will be good as a female boss. You have to prove yourself and others that you have the necessary capacity. Lastly, we have an additional challenge, in that as a woman it is very difficult to network with men, particularly according to the usual ways of networking in this society. You have to find alternative ways to connect with people, with men, employees. My approach was to write a weekly column in a national newspaper.

How has the situation of women changed in Kuwait in the last decade?

One of the most important milestones for Kuwaiti women in the last years was gaining full political rights. In addition, the increase in the percentage of women’s participation in the labour force. We have also seen an increase in the participation of women in management and decision-making positions in the private sector and the government. This is a social change that needs time and awareness. For instance, when I took office in the Ministry of Education, I pushed to have a higher number of Kuwaiti girls obtaining scholarships to study abroad. This has contributed to creating a difference in society.

In terms of policy what change would you like to see for women and girls in Kuwait?

We still need government support for women. I would like to see more than one female parliament member. I would like to see more than two female ministers in the cabinet. We have to put more pressure on our decision-makers to promote the access of women to higher positions in the State administration. We still have a lot of work to do on legislation. For example, the adoption of a nationality law to allow women to pass their nationality to their children and laws to improve women’s access to land and loans.

How can we engage men to support women’s empowerment in Kuwait?

Many of the things that I have achieved throughout my life have been possible in part thanks to the support of men in different capacities. Starting with my father, my husband later, my male colleagues at the university and eventually my colleagues in the government. I would like to see this kind of coaching for all qualified females in the country. Men can play a big role in supporting women to access leadership positions and to be empowered. Male leaders have to promote equality of opportunities and they have to believe in women’s abilities to make a difference in society and support them to achieve their goals.

Source: UN Women.

Dr. Moudi Abdul Aziz AlHumoud (PhD) is a women’s rights advocate from Kuwait. She is one of the first women to hold ministerial positions in her country, first as Minister of State for Housing and Planning and later as Minister for Education and Higher Education. She has also served as President of the Arab Open University and Dean of the College of Administration at Kuwait University. Dr. AlHumoud participated in the Annual Conference on Women and Leadership organized by the Women’s Research and Studies Center at Kuwait University in partnership with the General Secretariat of the Supreme Council for Planning and Development and supported by UNDP Kuwait and the UN Women Regional Office for the Arab States.

How was your experience as one of the first Kuwaiti women who assumed a leadership position in the country?

I was pretty active in the women’s movement since I graduated as a PHD back in the 1980’s. There was a huge women’s movement, we were campaigning for women’s rights, labour rights and political participation. I knew what I wanted to achieve for women in Kuwait. I also had a great support from my male colleagues at the University. We were only two female faculty members in the Business School back then. Later on, I had the support of male colleagues in the government. I had a number of male mentors who supported me in my career. I tried to work hard for my rights as a woman and for my professional career and luckily I have succeeded.

What do you think are the main challenges for women and girls to access leadership roles?

The first challenge for any woman is that we have to create a balance between our personal life and our career. I am a wife and a mother of five children. I have to keep my family and keep my career and this balance is very difficult to achieve. The second challenge is the social acceptance of women acting in positions of power. This is not easy. When I was promoting women’s rights, I had to participate in debates, television interviews and public lectures and most of the participants were men. Sometimes they thought I was against the social norms or trying to break the boundaries; whereas in fact I was only asking for our rights in society. But slowly they started to accept. The third challenge is that you have to convince your colleagues and employees that you will be good as a female boss. You have to prove yourself and others that you have the necessary capacity. Lastly, we have an additional challenge, in that as a woman it is very difficult to network with men, particularly according to the usual ways of networking in this society. You have to find alternative ways to connect with people, with men, employees. My approach was to write a weekly column in a national newspaper.

How has the situation of women changed in Kuwait in the last decade?

One of the most important milestones for Kuwaiti women in the last years was gaining full political rights. In addition, the increase in the percentage of women’s participation in the labour force. We have also seen an increase in the participation of women in management and decision-making positions in the private sector and the government. This is a social change that needs time and awareness. For instance, when I took office in the Ministry of Education, I pushed to have a higher number of Kuwaiti girls obtaining scholarships to study abroad. This has contributed to creating a difference in society.

In terms of policy what change would you like to see for women and girls in Kuwait?

We still need government support for women. I would like to see more than one female parliament member. I would like to see more than two female ministers in the cabinet. We have to put more pressure on our decision-makers to promote the access of women to higher positions in the State administration. We still have a lot of work to do on legislation. For example, the adoption of a nationality law to allow women to pass their nationality to their children and laws to improve women’s access to land and loans.

How can we engage men to support women’s empowerment in Kuwait?

Many of the things that I have achieved throughout my life have been possible in part thanks to the support of men in different capacities. Starting with my father, my husband later, my male colleagues at the university and eventually my colleagues in the government. I would like to see this kind of coaching for all qualified females in the country. Men can play a big role in supporting women to access leadership positions and to be empowered. Male leaders have to promote equality of opportunities and they have to believe in women’s abilities to make a difference in society and support them to achieve their goals.

Source: UN Women.

Dr. Moudi Abdul Aziz AlHumoud (PhD) is a women’s rights advocate from Kuwait. She is one of the first women to hold ministerial positions in her country, first as Minister of State for Housing and Planning and later as Minister for Education and Higher Education. She has also served as President of the Arab Open University and Dean of the College of Administration at Kuwait University. Dr. AlHumoud participated in the Annual Conference on Women and Leadership organized by the Women’s Research and Studies Center at Kuwait University in partnership with the General Secretariat of the Supreme Council for Planning and Development and supported by UNDP Kuwait and the UN Women Regional Office for the Arab States.

How was your experience as one of the first Kuwaiti women who assumed a leadership position in the country?

I was pretty active in the women’s movement since I graduated as a PHD back in the 1980’s. There was a huge women’s movement, we were campaigning for women’s rights, labour rights and political participation. I knew what I wanted to achieve for women in Kuwait. I also had a great support from my male colleagues at the University. We were only two female faculty members in the Business School back then. Later on, I had the support of male colleagues in the government. I had a number of male mentors who supported me in my career. I tried to work hard for my rights as a woman and for my professional career and luckily I have succeeded.

What do you think are the main challenges for women and girls to access leadership roles?

The first challenge for any woman is that we have to create a balance between our personal life and our career. I am a wife and a mother of five children. I have to keep my family and keep my career and this balance is very difficult to achieve. The second challenge is the social acceptance of women acting in positions of power. This is not easy. When I was promoting women’s rights, I had to participate in debates, television interviews and public lectures and most of the participants were men. Sometimes they thought I was against the social norms or trying to break the boundaries; whereas in fact I was only asking for our rights in society. But slowly they started to accept. The third challenge is that you have to convince your colleagues and employees that you will be good as a female boss. You have to prove yourself and others that you have the necessary capacity. Lastly, we have an additional challenge, in that as a woman it is very difficult to network with men, particularly according to the usual ways of networking in this society. You have to find alternative ways to connect with people, with men, employees. My approach was to write a weekly column in a national newspaper.

How has the situation of women changed in Kuwait in the last decade?

One of the most important milestones for Kuwaiti women in the last years was gaining full political rights. In addition, the increase in the percentage of women’s participation in the labour force. We have also seen an increase in the participation of women in management and decision-making positions in the private sector and the government. This is a social change that needs time and awareness. For instance, when I took office in the Ministry of Education, I pushed to have a higher number of Kuwaiti girls obtaining scholarships to study abroad. This has contributed to creating a difference in society.

In terms of policy what change would you like to see for women and girls in Kuwait?

We still need government support for women. I would like to see more than one female parliament member. I would like to see more than two female ministers in the cabinet. We have to put more pressure on our decision-makers to promote the access of women to higher positions in the State administration. We still have a lot of work to do on legislation. For example, the adoption of a nationality law to allow women to pass their nationality to their children and laws to improve women’s access to land and loans.

How can we engage men to support women’s empowerment in Kuwait?

Many of the things that I have achieved throughout my life have been possible in part thanks to the support of men in different capacities. Starting with my father, my husband later, my male colleagues at the university and eventually my colleagues in the government. I would like to see this kind of coaching for all qualified females in the country. Men can play a big role in supporting women to access leadership positions and to be empowered. Male leaders have to promote equality of opportunities and they have to believe in women’s abilities to make a difference in society and support them to achieve their goals.

Source: UN Women.

Dr. Moudi Abdul Aziz AlHumoud (PhD) is a women’s rights advocate from Kuwait. She is one of the first women to hold ministerial positions in her country, first as Minister of State for Housing and Planning and later as Minister for Education and Higher Education. She has also served as President of the Arab Open University and Dean of the College of Administration at Kuwait University. Dr. AlHumoud participated in the Annual Conference on Women and Leadership organized by the Women’s Research and Studies Center at Kuwait University in partnership with the General Secretariat of the Supreme Council for Planning and Development and supported by UNDP Kuwait and the UN Women Regional Office for the Arab States.

How was your experience as one of the first Kuwaiti women who assumed a leadership position in the country?

I was pretty active in the women’s movement since I graduated as a PHD back in the 1980’s. There was a huge women’s movement, we were campaigning for women’s rights, labour rights and political participation. I knew what I wanted to achieve for women in Kuwait. I also had a great support from my male colleagues at the University. We were only two female faculty members in the Business School back then. Later on, I had the support of male colleagues in the government. I had a number of male mentors who supported me in my career. I tried to work hard for my rights as a woman and for my professional career and luckily I have succeeded.

What do you think are the main challenges for women and girls to access leadership roles?

The first challenge for any woman is that we have to create a balance between our personal life and our career. I am a wife and a mother of five children. I have to keep my family and keep my career and this balance is very difficult to achieve. The second challenge is the social acceptance of women acting in positions of power. This is not easy. When I was promoting women’s rights, I had to participate in debates, television interviews and public lectures and most of the participants were men. Sometimes they thought I was against the social norms or trying to break the boundaries; whereas in fact I was only asking for our rights in society. But slowly they started to accept. The third challenge is that you have to convince your colleagues and employees that you will be good as a female boss. You have to prove yourself and others that you have the necessary capacity. Lastly, we have an additional challenge, in that as a woman it is very difficult to network with men, particularly according to the usual ways of networking in this society. You have to find alternative ways to connect with people, with men, employees. My approach was to write a weekly column in a national newspaper.

How has the situation of women changed in Kuwait in the last decade?

One of the most important milestones for Kuwaiti women in the last years was gaining full political rights. In addition, the increase in the percentage of women’s participation in the labour force. We have also seen an increase in the participation of women in management and decision-making positions in the private sector and the government. This is a social change that needs time and awareness. For instance, when I took office in the Ministry of Education, I pushed to have a higher number of Kuwaiti girls obtaining scholarships to study abroad. This has contributed to creating a difference in society.

In terms of policy what change would you like to see for women and girls in Kuwait?

We still need government support for women. I would like to see more than one female parliament member. I would like to see more than two female ministers in the cabinet. We have to put more pressure on our decision-makers to promote the access of women to higher positions in the State administration. We still have a lot of work to do on legislation. For example, the adoption of a nationality law to allow women to pass their nationality to their children and laws to improve women’s access to land and loans.

How can we engage men to support women’s empowerment in Kuwait?

Many of the things that I have achieved throughout my life have been possible in part thanks to the support of men in different capacities. Starting with my father, my husband later, my male colleagues at the university and eventually my colleagues in the government. I would like to see this kind of coaching for all qualified females in the country. Men can play a big role in supporting women to access leadership positions and to be empowered. Male leaders have to promote equality of opportunities and they have to believe in women’s abilities to make a difference in society and support them to achieve their goals.

Source: UN Women.

Dr. Moudi Abdul Aziz AlHumoud (PhD) is a women’s rights advocate from Kuwait. She is one of the first women to hold ministerial positions in her country, first as Minister of State for Housing and Planning and later as Minister for Education and Higher Education. She has also served as President of the Arab Open University and Dean of the College of Administration at Kuwait University. Dr. AlHumoud participated in the Annual Conference on Women and Leadership organized by the Women’s Research and Studies Center at Kuwait University in partnership with the General Secretariat of the Supreme Council for Planning and Development and supported by UNDP Kuwait and the UN Women Regional Office for the Arab States.

How was your experience as one of the first Kuwaiti women who assumed a leadership position in the country?

I was pretty active in the women’s movement since I graduated as a PHD back in the 1980’s. There was a huge women’s movement, we were campaigning for women’s rights, labour rights and political participation. I knew what I wanted to achieve for women in Kuwait. I also had a great support from my male colleagues at the University. We were only two female faculty members in the Business School back then. Later on, I had the support of male colleagues in the government. I had a number of male mentors who supported me in my career. I tried to work hard for my rights as a woman and for my professional career and luckily I have succeeded.

What do you think are the main challenges for women and girls to access leadership roles?

The first challenge for any woman is that we have to create a balance between our personal life and our career. I am a wife and a mother of five children. I have to keep my family and keep my career and this balance is very difficult to achieve. The second challenge is the social acceptance of women acting in positions of power. This is not easy. When I was promoting women’s rights, I had to participate in debates, television interviews and public lectures and most of the participants were men. Sometimes they thought I was against the social norms or trying to break the boundaries; whereas in fact I was only asking for our rights in society. But slowly they started to accept. The third challenge is that you have to convince your colleagues and employees that you will be good as a female boss. You have to prove yourself and others that you have the necessary capacity. Lastly, we have an additional challenge, in that as a woman it is very difficult to network with men, particularly according to the usual ways of networking in this society. You have to find alternative ways to connect with people, with men, employees. My approach was to write a weekly column in a national newspaper.

How has the situation of women changed in Kuwait in the last decade?

One of the most important milestones for Kuwaiti women in the last years was gaining full political rights. In addition, the increase in the percentage of women’s participation in the labour force. We have also seen an increase in the participation of women in management and decision-making positions in the private sector and the government. This is a social change that needs time and awareness. For instance, when I took office in the Ministry of Education, I pushed to have a higher number of Kuwaiti girls obtaining scholarships to study abroad. This has contributed to creating a difference in society.

In terms of policy what change would you like to see for women and girls in Kuwait?

We still need government support for women. I would like to see more than one female parliament member. I would like to see more than two female ministers in the cabinet. We have to put more pressure on our decision-makers to promote the access of women to higher positions in the State administration. We still have a lot of work to do on legislation. For example, the adoption of a nationality law to allow women to pass their nationality to their children and laws to improve women’s access to land and loans.

How can we engage men to support women’s empowerment in Kuwait?

Many of the things that I have achieved throughout my life have been possible in part thanks to the support of men in different capacities. Starting with my father, my husband later, my male colleagues at the university and eventually my colleagues in the government. I would like to see this kind of coaching for all qualified females in the country. Men can play a big role in supporting women to access leadership positions and to be empowered. Male leaders have to promote equality of opportunities and they have to believe in women’s abilities to make a difference in society and support them to achieve their goals.

Source: UN Women.

Dr. Moudi Abdul Aziz AlHumoud (PhD) is a women’s rights advocate from Kuwait. She is one of the first women to hold ministerial positions in her country, first as Minister of State for Housing and Planning and later as Minister for Education and Higher Education. She has also served as President of the Arab Open University and Dean of the College of Administration at Kuwait University. Dr. AlHumoud participated in the Annual Conference on Women and Leadership organized by the Women’s Research and Studies Center at Kuwait University in partnership with the General Secretariat of the Supreme Council for Planning and Development and supported by UNDP Kuwait and the UN Women Regional Office for the Arab States.

How was your experience as one of the first Kuwaiti women who assumed a leadership position in the country?

I was pretty active in the women’s movement since I graduated as a PHD back in the 1980’s. There was a huge women’s movement, we were campaigning for women’s rights, labour rights and political participation. I knew what I wanted to achieve for women in Kuwait. I also had a great support from my male colleagues at the University. We were only two female faculty members in the Business School back then. Later on, I had the support of male colleagues in the government. I had a number of male mentors who supported me in my career. I tried to work hard for my rights as a woman and for my professional career and luckily I have succeeded.

What do you think are the main challenges for women and girls to access leadership roles?

The first challenge for any woman is that we have to create a balance between our personal life and our career. I am a wife and a mother of five children. I have to keep my family and keep my career and this balance is very difficult to achieve. The second challenge is the social acceptance of women acting in positions of power. This is not easy. When I was promoting women’s rights, I had to participate in debates, television interviews and public lectures and most of the participants were men. Sometimes they thought I was against the social norms or trying to break the boundaries; whereas in fact I was only asking for our rights in society. But slowly they started to accept. The third challenge is that you have to convince your colleagues and employees that you will be good as a female boss. You have to prove yourself and others that you have the necessary capacity. Lastly, we have an additional challenge, in that as a woman it is very difficult to network with men, particularly according to the usual ways of networking in this society. You have to find alternative ways to connect with people, with men, employees. My approach was to write a weekly column in a national newspaper.

How has the situation of women changed in Kuwait in the last decade?

One of the most important milestones for Kuwaiti women in the last years was gaining full political rights. In addition, the increase in the percentage of women’s participation in the labour force. We have also seen an increase in the participation of women in management and decision-making positions in the private sector and the government. This is a social change that needs time and awareness. For instance, when I took office in the Ministry of Education, I pushed to have a higher number of Kuwaiti girls obtaining scholarships to study abroad. This has contributed to creating a difference in society.

In terms of policy what change would you like to see for women and girls in Kuwait?

We still need government support for women. I would like to see more than one female parliament member. I would like to see more than two female ministers in the cabinet. We have to put more pressure on our decision-makers to promote the access of women to higher positions in the State administration. We still have a lot of work to do on legislation. For example, the adoption of a nationality law to allow women to pass their nationality to their children and laws to improve women’s access to land and loans.

How can we engage men to support women’s empowerment in Kuwait?

Many of the things that I have achieved throughout my life have been possible in part thanks to the support of men in different capacities. Starting with my father, my husband later, my male colleagues at the university and eventually my colleagues in the government. I would like to see this kind of coaching for all qualified females in the country. Men can play a big role in supporting women to access leadership positions and to be empowered. Male leaders have to promote equality of opportunities and they have to believe in women’s abilities to make a difference in society and support them to achieve their goals.

Source: UN Women.

Dr. Moudi Abdul Aziz AlHumoud (PhD) is a women’s rights advocate from Kuwait. She is one of the first women to hold ministerial positions in her country, first as Minister of State for Housing and Planning and later as Minister for Education and Higher Education. She has also served as President of the Arab Open University and Dean of the College of Administration at Kuwait University. Dr. AlHumoud participated in the Annual Conference on Women and Leadership organized by the Women’s Research and Studies Center at Kuwait University in partnership with the General Secretariat of the Supreme Council for Planning and Development and supported by UNDP Kuwait and the UN Women Regional Office for the Arab States.

How was your experience as one of the first Kuwaiti women who assumed a leadership position in the country?

I was pretty active in the women’s movement since I graduated as a PHD back in the 1980’s. There was a huge women’s movement, we were campaigning for women’s rights, labour rights and political participation. I knew what I wanted to achieve for women in Kuwait. I also had a great support from my male colleagues at the University. We were only two female faculty members in the Business School back then. Later on, I had the support of male colleagues in the government. I had a number of male mentors who supported me in my career. I tried to work hard for my rights as a woman and for my professional career and luckily I have succeeded.

What do you think are the main challenges for women and girls to access leadership roles?

The first challenge for any woman is that we have to create a balance between our personal life and our career. I am a wife and a mother of five children. I have to keep my family and keep my career and this balance is very difficult to achieve. The second challenge is the social acceptance of women acting in positions of power. This is not easy. When I was promoting women’s rights, I had to participate in debates, television interviews and public lectures and most of the participants were men. Sometimes they thought I was against the social norms or trying to break the boundaries; whereas in fact I was only asking for our rights in society. But slowly they started to accept. The third challenge is that you have to convince your colleagues and employees that you will be good as a female boss. You have to prove yourself and others that you have the necessary capacity. Lastly, we have an additional challenge, in that as a woman it is very difficult to network with men, particularly according to the usual ways of networking in this society. You have to find alternative ways to connect with people, with men, employees. My approach was to write a weekly column in a national newspaper.

How has the situation of women changed in Kuwait in the last decade?

One of the most important milestones for Kuwaiti women in the last years was gaining full political rights. In addition, the increase in the percentage of women’s participation in the labour force. We have also seen an increase in the participation of women in management and decision-making positions in the private sector and the government. This is a social change that needs time and awareness. For instance, when I took office in the Ministry of Education, I pushed to have a higher number of Kuwaiti girls obtaining scholarships to study abroad. This has contributed to creating a difference in society.

In terms of policy what change would you like to see for women and girls in Kuwait?

We still need government support for women. I would like to see more than one female parliament member. I would like to see more than two female ministers in the cabinet. We have to put more pressure on our decision-makers to promote the access of women to higher positions in the State administration. We still have a lot of work to do on legislation. For example, the adoption of a nationality law to allow women to pass their nationality to their children and laws to improve women’s access to land and loans.

How can we engage men to support women’s empowerment in Kuwait?

Many of the things that I have achieved throughout my life have been possible in part thanks to the support of men in different capacities. Starting with my father, my husband later, my male colleagues at the university and eventually my colleagues in the government. I would like to see this kind of coaching for all qualified females in the country. Men can play a big role in supporting women to access leadership positions and to be empowered. Male leaders have to promote equality of opportunities and they have to believe in women’s abilities to make a difference in society and support them to achieve their goals.

Source: UN Women.

Dr. Moudi Abdul Aziz AlHumoud (PhD) is a women’s rights advocate from Kuwait. She is one of the first women to hold ministerial positions in her country, first as Minister of State for Housing and Planning and later as Minister for Education and Higher Education. She has also served as President of the Arab Open University and Dean of the College of Administration at Kuwait University. Dr. AlHumoud participated in the Annual Conference on Women and Leadership organized by the Women’s Research and Studies Center at Kuwait University in partnership with the General Secretariat of the Supreme Council for Planning and Development and supported by UNDP Kuwait and the UN Women Regional Office for the Arab States.

How was your experience as one of the first Kuwaiti women who assumed a leadership position in the country?

I was pretty active in the women’s movement since I graduated as a PHD back in the 1980’s. There was a huge women’s movement, we were campaigning for women’s rights, labour rights and political participation. I knew what I wanted to achieve for women in Kuwait. I also had a great support from my male colleagues at the University. We were only two female faculty members in the Business School back then. Later on, I had the support of male colleagues in the government. I had a number of male mentors who supported me in my career. I tried to work hard for my rights as a woman and for my professional career and luckily I have succeeded.

What do you think are the main challenges for women and girls to access leadership roles?

The first challenge for any woman is that we have to create a balance between our personal life and our career. I am a wife and a mother of five children. I have to keep my family and keep my career and this balance is very difficult to achieve. The second challenge is the social acceptance of women acting in positions of power. This is not easy. When I was promoting women’s rights, I had to participate in debates, television interviews and public lectures and most of the participants were men. Sometimes they thought I was against the social norms or trying to break the boundaries; whereas in fact I was only asking for our rights in society. But slowly they started to accept. The third challenge is that you have to convince your colleagues and employees that you will be good as a female boss. You have to prove yourself and others that you have the necessary capacity. Lastly, we have an additional challenge, in that as a woman it is very difficult to network with men, particularly according to the usual ways of networking in this society. You have to find alternative ways to connect with people, with men, employees. My approach was to write a weekly column in a national newspaper.

How has the situation of women changed in Kuwait in the last decade?

One of the most important milestones for Kuwaiti women in the last years was gaining full political rights. In addition, the increase in the percentage of women’s participation in the labour force. We have also seen an increase in the participation of women in management and decision-making positions in the private sector and the government. This is a social change that needs time and awareness. For instance, when I took office in the Ministry of Education, I pushed to have a higher number of Kuwaiti girls obtaining scholarships to study abroad. This has contributed to creating a difference in society.

In terms of policy what change would you like to see for women and girls in Kuwait?

We still need government support for women. I would like to see more than one female parliament member. I would like to see more than two female ministers in the cabinet. We have to put more pressure on our decision-makers to promote the access of women to higher positions in the State administration. We still have a lot of work to do on legislation. For example, the adoption of a nationality law to allow women to pass their nationality to their children and laws to improve women’s access to land and loans.

How can we engage men to support women’s empowerment in Kuwait?

Many of the things that I have achieved throughout my life have been possible in part thanks to the support of men in different capacities. Starting with my father, my husband later, my male colleagues at the university and eventually my colleagues in the government. I would like to see this kind of coaching for all qualified females in the country. Men can play a big role in supporting women to access leadership positions and to be empowered. Male leaders have to promote equality of opportunities and they have to believe in women’s abilities to make a difference in society and support them to achieve their goals.

Source: UN Women.

Dr. Moudi Abdul Aziz AlHumoud (PhD) is a women’s rights advocate from Kuwait. She is one of the first women to hold ministerial positions in her country, first as Minister of State for Housing and Planning and later as Minister for Education and Higher Education. She has also served as President of the Arab Open University and Dean of the College of Administration at Kuwait University. Dr. AlHumoud participated in the Annual Conference on Women and Leadership organized by the Women’s Research and Studies Center at Kuwait University in partnership with the General Secretariat of the Supreme Council for Planning and Development and supported by UNDP Kuwait and the UN Women Regional Office for the Arab States.

How was your experience as one of the first Kuwaiti women who assumed a leadership position in the country?

I was pretty active in the women’s movement since I graduated as a PHD back in the 1980’s. There was a huge women’s movement, we were campaigning for women’s rights, labour rights and political participation. I knew what I wanted to achieve for women in Kuwait. I also had a great support from my male colleagues at the University. We were only two female faculty members in the Business School back then. Later on, I had the support of male colleagues in the government. I had a number of male mentors who supported me in my career. I tried to work hard for my rights as a woman and for my professional career and luckily I have succeeded.

What do you think are the main challenges for women and girls to access leadership roles?

The first challenge for any woman is that we have to create a balance between our personal life and our career. I am a wife and a mother of five children. I have to keep my family and keep my career and this balance is very difficult to achieve. The second challenge is the social acceptance of women acting in positions of power. This is not easy. When I was promoting women’s rights, I had to participate in debates, television interviews and public lectures and most of the participants were men. Sometimes they thought I was against the social norms or trying to break the boundaries; whereas in fact I was only asking for our rights in society. But slowly they started to accept. The third challenge is that you have to convince your colleagues and employees that you will be good as a female boss. You have to prove yourself and others that you have the necessary capacity. Lastly, we have an additional challenge, in that as a woman it is very difficult to network with men, particularly according to the usual ways of networking in this society. You have to find alternative ways to connect with people, with men, employees. My approach was to write a weekly column in a national newspaper.

How has the situation of women changed in Kuwait in the last decade?

One of the most important milestones for Kuwaiti women in the last years was gaining full political rights. In addition, the increase in the percentage of women’s participation in the labour force. We have also seen an increase in the participation of women in management and decision-making positions in the private sector and the government. This is a social change that needs time and awareness. For instance, when I took office in the Ministry of Education, I pushed to have a higher number of Kuwaiti girls obtaining scholarships to study abroad. This has contributed to creating a difference in society.

In terms of policy what change would you like to see for women and girls in Kuwait?

We still need government support for women. I would like to see more than one female parliament member. I would like to see more than two female ministers in the cabinet. We have to put more pressure on our decision-makers to promote the access of women to higher positions in the State administration. We still have a lot of work to do on legislation. For example, the adoption of a nationality law to allow women to pass their nationality to their children and laws to improve women’s access to land and loans.

How can we engage men to support women’s empowerment in Kuwait?

Many of the things that I have achieved throughout my life have been possible in part thanks to the support of men in different capacities. Starting with my father, my husband later, my male colleagues at the university and eventually my colleagues in the government. I would like to see this kind of coaching for all qualified females in the country. Men can play a big role in supporting women to access leadership positions and to be empowered. Male leaders have to promote equality of opportunities and they have to believe in women’s abilities to make a difference in society and support them to achieve their goals.

Source: UN Women.

Dr. Moudi Abdul Aziz AlHumoud (PhD) is a women’s rights advocate from Kuwait. She is one of the first women to hold ministerial positions in her country, first as Minister of State for Housing and Planning and later as Minister for Education and Higher Education. She has also served as President of the Arab Open University and Dean of the College of Administration at Kuwait University. Dr. AlHumoud participated in the Annual Conference on Women and Leadership organized by the Women’s Research and Studies Center at Kuwait University in partnership with the General Secretariat of the Supreme Council for Planning and Development and supported by UNDP Kuwait and the UN Women Regional Office for the Arab States.

How was your experience as one of the first Kuwaiti women who assumed a leadership position in the country?

I was pretty active in the women’s movement since I graduated as a PHD back in the 1980’s. There was a huge women’s movement, we were campaigning for women’s rights, labour rights and political participation. I knew what I wanted to achieve for women in Kuwait. I also had a great support from my male colleagues at the University. We were only two female faculty members in the Business School back then. Later on, I had the support of male colleagues in the government. I had a number of male mentors who supported me in my career. I tried to work hard for my rights as a woman and for my professional career and luckily I have succeeded.

What do you think are the main challenges for women and girls to access leadership roles?

The first challenge for any woman is that we have to create a balance between our personal life and our career. I am a wife and a mother of five children. I have to keep my family and keep my career and this balance is very difficult to achieve. The second challenge is the social acceptance of women acting in positions of power. This is not easy. When I was promoting women’s rights, I had to participate in debates, television interviews and public lectures and most of the participants were men. Sometimes they thought I was against the social norms or trying to break the boundaries; whereas in fact I was only asking for our rights in society. But slowly they started to accept. The third challenge is that you have to convince your colleagues and employees that you will be good as a female boss. You have to prove yourself and others that you have the necessary capacity. Lastly, we have an additional challenge, in that as a woman it is very difficult to network with men, particularly according to the usual ways of networking in this society. You have to find alternative ways to connect with people, with men, employees. My approach was to write a weekly column in a national newspaper.

How has the situation of women changed in Kuwait in the last decade?

One of the most important milestones for Kuwaiti women in the last years was gaining full political rights. In addition, the increase in the percentage of women’s participation in the labour force. We have also seen an increase in the participation of women in management and decision-making positions in the private sector and the government. This is a social change that needs time and awareness. For instance, when I took office in the Ministry of Education, I pushed to have a higher number of Kuwaiti girls obtaining scholarships to study abroad. This has contributed to creating a difference in society.

In terms of policy what change would you like to see for women and girls in Kuwait?

We still need government support for women. I would like to see more than one female parliament member. I would like to see more than two female ministers in the cabinet. We have to put more pressure on our decision-makers to promote the access of women to higher positions in the State administration. We still have a lot of work to do on legislation. For example, the adoption of a nationality law to allow women to pass their nationality to their children and laws to improve women’s access to land and loans.

How can we engage men to support women’s empowerment in Kuwait?

Many of the things that I have achieved throughout my life have been possible in part thanks to the support of men in different capacities. Starting with my father, my husband later, my male colleagues at the university and eventually my colleagues in the government. I would like to see this kind of coaching for all qualified females in the country. Men can play a big role in supporting women to access leadership positions and to be empowered. Male leaders have to promote equality of opportunities and they have to believe in women’s abilities to make a difference in society and support them to achieve their goals.

Source: UN Women.

A group of Kuwaiti women including government officials, members of the private sector, civil society representatives and entrepreneurs joined a workshop on political campaign management and leadership skills held within the framework of the 8th Annual Conference on Women and Leadership convened by the Kuwait University Women’s Research and Studies Centre (WRSC) between October 22 -25 in Kuwait City.

The training included practical exercises and learning on community organizing practices and election campaigning. The participants were exposed to five campaign principles: crafting a public narrative, setting strategy, building leadership teams, investing in relationships and designing motivational action. In addition, they were provided with practical skills to develop their election message, target voters and build a voter contact plan.

The workshop is part of a two-year project to accelerate the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 5 on gender equality and women’s empowerment in Kuwait, implemented by the WRSC at Kuwait University in partnership with the General Secretariat of the Supreme Council for Planning and Development, UNDP Kuwait and the UN Women Regional Office for the Arab States.

“Kuwaiti women need to play a bigger role in shaping their country's future. Women make up fifty per cent of the population, but the current numbers of women in the National Assembly and in municipal councils is well below gender parity. With support such as this training, it is hoped that more Kuwaiti women will decide to pursue the option of standing for election and that they will be more likely to succeed when they do so,” Nisreen Haj Ahmad, Director of Ahel and expert in community mobilization, who facilitated the training.

One of the participants in the workshop, Eman Al-Awadhi, Group Communications Director at private sector company KIPCO said “I think leadership is important whether in politics or in career. The focus on women -and having women in the room- highlights more strongly the common issues that we need to work on together. It also allows for an open platform where women can exchange their challenges and learn from each other. It also means that we get a chance to network. A lot of women in this room have great potential. They come from very diverse backgrounds and getting to know them can actually help us to work together towards a common goal”.

“Everyone who wants to be a leader or run for office, should be trained, especially women. This training is very important because it has provided us with many skills whether we want to be in politics or just embrace leadership in any aspect of our lives,” said Asrar Hayat, Kuwaiti entrepreneur.

“This training has taught me about strategic planning and provided me with useful information about the role of women in politics and how the election processes work. It has been a very valuable experience and it has enriched my perspective with regards to women’s empowerment in Kuwait,” said Zahra Suliman AlMosawi, General Manager at a public relations firm.

The 8th Annual Conference on Women and Leadership highlighted the role of WRSC as a hub for collaboration, partnerships and knowledge-building on women leadership and empowerment in the public and political spheres, through the introduction of practical concepts, terminologies and effective networking strategies. 

Source: UN Women.

A group of Kuwaiti women including government officials, members of the private sector, civil society representatives and entrepreneurs joined a workshop on political campaign management and leadership skills held within the framework of the 8th Annual Conference on Women and Leadership convened by the Kuwait University Women’s Research and Studies Centre (WRSC) between October 22 -25 in Kuwait City.

The training included practical exercises and learning on community organizing practices and election campaigning. The participants were exposed to five campaign principles: crafting a public narrative, setting strategy, building leadership teams, investing in relationships and designing motivational action. In addition, they were provided with practical skills to develop their election message, target voters and build a voter contact plan.

The workshop is part of a two-year project to accelerate the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 5 on gender equality and women’s empowerment in Kuwait, implemented by the WRSC at Kuwait University in partnership with the General Secretariat of the Supreme Council for Planning and Development, UNDP Kuwait and the UN Women Regional Office for the Arab States.

“Kuwaiti women need to play a bigger role in shaping their country's future. Women make up fifty per cent of the population, but the current numbers of women in the National Assembly and in municipal councils is well below gender parity. With support such as this training, it is hoped that more Kuwaiti women will decide to pursue the option of standing for election and that they will be more likely to succeed when they do so,” Nisreen Haj Ahmad, Director of Ahel and expert in community mobilization, who facilitated the training.

One of the participants in the workshop, Eman Al-Awadhi, Group Communications Director at private sector company KIPCO said “I think leadership is important whether in politics or in career. The focus on women -and having women in the room- highlights more strongly the common issues that we need to work on together. It also allows for an open platform where women can exchange their challenges and learn from each other. It also means that we get a chance to network. A lot of women in this room have great potential. They come from very diverse backgrounds and getting to know them can actually help us to work together towards a common goal”.

“Everyone who wants to be a leader or run for office, should be trained, especially women. This training is very important because it has provided us with many skills whether we want to be in politics or just embrace leadership in any aspect of our lives,” said Asrar Hayat, Kuwaiti entrepreneur.

“This training has taught me about strategic planning and provided me with useful information about the role of women in politics and how the election processes work. It has been a very valuable experience and it has enriched my perspective with regards to women’s empowerment in Kuwait,” said Zahra Suliman AlMosawi, General Manager at a public relations firm.

The 8th Annual Conference on Women and Leadership highlighted the role of WRSC as a hub for collaboration, partnerships and knowledge-building on women leadership and empowerment in the public and political spheres, through the introduction of practical concepts, terminologies and effective networking strategies. 

Source: UN Women.

A group of Kuwaiti women including government officials, members of the private sector, civil society representatives and entrepreneurs joined a workshop on political campaign management and leadership skills held within the framework of the 8th Annual Conference on Women and Leadership convened by the Kuwait University Women’s Research and Studies Centre (WRSC) between October 22 -25 in Kuwait City.

The training included practical exercises and learning on community organizing practices and election campaigning. The participants were exposed to five campaign principles: crafting a public narrative, setting strategy, building leadership teams, investing in relationships and designing motivational action. In addition, they were provided with practical skills to develop their election message, target voters and build a voter contact plan.

The workshop is part of a two-year project to accelerate the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 5 on gender equality and women’s empowerment in Kuwait, implemented by the WRSC at Kuwait University in partnership with the General Secretariat of the Supreme Council for Planning and Development, UNDP Kuwait and the UN Women Regional Office for the Arab States.

“Kuwaiti women need to play a bigger role in shaping their country's future. Women make up fifty per cent of the population, but the current numbers of women in the National Assembly and in municipal councils is well below gender parity. With support such as this training, it is hoped that more Kuwaiti women will decide to pursue the option of standing for election and that they will be more likely to succeed when they do so,” Nisreen Haj Ahmad, Director of Ahel and expert in community mobilization, who facilitated the training.

One of the participants in the workshop, Eman Al-Awadhi, Group Communications Director at private sector company KIPCO said “I think leadership is important whether in politics or in career. The focus on women -and having women in the room- highlights more strongly the common issues that we need to work on together. It also allows for an open platform where women can exchange their challenges and learn from each other. It also means that we get a chance to network. A lot of women in this room have great potential. They come from very diverse backgrounds and getting to know them can actually help us to work together towards a common goal”.

“Everyone who wants to be a leader or run for office, should be trained, especially women. This training is very important because it has provided us with many skills whether we want to be in politics or just embrace leadership in any aspect of our lives,” said Asrar Hayat, Kuwaiti entrepreneur.

“This training has taught me about strategic planning and provided me with useful information about the role of women in politics and how the election processes work. It has been a very valuable experience and it has enriched my perspective with regards to women’s empowerment in Kuwait,” said Zahra Suliman AlMosawi, General Manager at a public relations firm.

The 8th Annual Conference on Women and Leadership highlighted the role of WRSC as a hub for collaboration, partnerships and knowledge-building on women leadership and empowerment in the public and political spheres, through the introduction of practical concepts, terminologies and effective networking strategies. 

Source: UN Women.

A group of Kuwaiti women including government officials, members of the private sector, civil society representatives and entrepreneurs joined a workshop on political campaign management and leadership skills held within the framework of the 8th Annual Conference on Women and Leadership convened by the Kuwait University Women’s Research and Studies Centre (WRSC) between October 22 -25 in Kuwait City.

The training included practical exercises and learning on community organizing practices and election campaigning. The participants were exposed to five campaign principles: crafting a public narrative, setting strategy, building leadership teams, investing in relationships and designing motivational action. In addition, they were provided with practical skills to develop their election message, target voters and build a voter contact plan.

The workshop is part of a two-year project to accelerate the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 5 on gender equality and women’s empowerment in Kuwait, implemented by the WRSC at Kuwait University in partnership with the General Secretariat of the Supreme Council for Planning and Development, UNDP Kuwait and the UN Women Regional Office for the Arab States.

“Kuwaiti women need to play a bigger role in shaping their country's future. Women make up fifty per cent of the population, but the current numbers of women in the National Assembly and in municipal councils is well below gender parity. With support such as this training, it is hoped that more Kuwaiti women will decide to pursue the option of standing for election and that they will be more likely to succeed when they do so,” Nisreen Haj Ahmad, Director of Ahel and expert in community mobilization, who facilitated the training.

One of the participants in the workshop, Eman Al-Awadhi, Group Communications Director at private sector company KIPCO said “I think leadership is important whether in politics or in career. The focus on women -and having women in the room- highlights more strongly the common issues that we need to work on together. It also allows for an open platform where women can exchange their challenges and learn from each other. It also means that we get a chance to network. A lot of women in this room have great potential. They come from very diverse backgrounds and getting to know them can actually help us to work together towards a common goal”.

“Everyone who wants to be a leader or run for office, should be trained, especially women. This training is very important because it has provided us with many skills whether we want to be in politics or just embrace leadership in any aspect of our lives,” said Asrar Hayat, Kuwaiti entrepreneur.

“This training has taught me about strategic planning and provided me with useful information about the role of women in politics and how the election processes work. It has been a very valuable experience and it has enriched my perspective with regards to women’s empowerment in Kuwait,” said Zahra Suliman AlMosawi, General Manager at a public relations firm.

The 8th Annual Conference on Women and Leadership highlighted the role of WRSC as a hub for collaboration, partnerships and knowledge-building on women leadership and empowerment in the public and political spheres, through the introduction of practical concepts, terminologies and effective networking strategies. 

Source: UN Women.