Wednesday, December 16, 2015
12:00 - 1:30 pm
1050 Connecticut Ave, NW, Ste. 1060
Washington, DC 20036 SPEAKERS
Dr. Hatoon Al-Fassi, Dr. Kristin Smith Diwan, additional speakers TBC
Though women have made small electoral gains, can they have an impact on the overall status of women in their prospective countries? Given the example of the UAE, can state-led feminism be more effective in elevating women politically in the Gulf? Finally, what has been the overall response of women voters to these elections? RSVP
A growing trope in mainstream Western analysis, which is also present in some parts of Arab and Muslim discourse, casts the kingdom of Saudi Arabia as the political and moral equivalent of the terrorist group ISIL (also known as ISIS, the "Islamic State," and Daesh). This conflation is wrong regarding most aspects of conduct and policy, especially relations to the international and regional order. But it does evoke some troubling echoes and influences that must be of concern even to those who see the problems with this equation. Read more
The Gulf economic model has historically envisioned the state as an engine of growth, a source of employment, and as a provider of a range of social and economic benefits, including healthcare, housing, subsidized energy, and free education. Oil exporting economies of the Arab Gulf states privilege citizens as part of a social contract that limits political voices and representation in exchange for this generous welfare state. Read more
In the Media
AGSIW Senior Resident Scholar Kristin Diwan was quoted during NPR's All Things Considered on November 29. Diwan discussed women's participation in the upcoming elections in Saudi Arabia.
AGSIW Senior Resident Scholar Karen Young was quoted in an article discussing the UAE's plans for renewable energy investments. Young discussed the UAE's dependence on natural gas from Qatar, noting, "Energy independence, at least from Qatari natural gas, might be seen as both a political and economic objective."
AGSIW Non-resident Fellow Fahad Nazer was quoted in an article in The Washington Post discussing Saudi Arabia and ISIL. In regards to the Saudi effort against ISIL, Nazer notes, "I think the Saudis view themselves as being at the forefront of the global effort to combat terrorism."
AGSIW Senior Resident Scholar 
