Who is Mudhawi? I had asked. Dr AlanoudAl Sharekh, the quiet, unassuming award-winning academic, activist, and founding member of Abolish 153, had quietly explained that Mudhawi is a traditional name from the Arabian Gulf region. It conjures up an image of a wise woman open to embracing all.
While working on my first book, ‘Women of Kuwait: Turning Tides’, I realised that strength and leadership in Kuwaiti women are deeply ingrained in their DNA irrespective of stereotypes, education, and socio-economic standing.
It is rooted in the ‘Mudhawis’, the wise old women who kept the home fires burning and looked after their flock when Kuwait was emptied of able-bodied men who sailed the seas for months, either pearl diving or trading. These ‘Mudhawis’ took on the mantle of leadership and strength for months.
Click here to read the full article published by Arab Times on 8 June 2023.
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