Karama Movement in the Arab World: Ending Violence Against Women on Our Own Terms

1. Karama Movement in the Arab World: Ending Violence Against Women on Our Own Terms KARAMA UNTIL THE VIOLENCE STOPS

2. Mouna Ghanem, Syria - ModeratorAmal Mahmoud Fayed, EgyptLeila Naffa, JordanAfaf Merei, EgyptSabah Hallaq, SyriaAida Touma Suleiman, Palestinian KARAMA UNTIL THE VIOLENCE STOPS

3. Milestones in Karama members’ advocacy and efforts to end violence against women • Karama partners’ CEDAW Shadow Report on Lebanongot the UN CEDAW Committee to require Lebanon’s government to pursue andreport results to improve the status and conditions of refugee womenand girls as a measure of compliance with CEDAW. • Karama partners’ CEDAW Shadow Report on Jordangot the Jordanian Parliament to hasten and approve a domestic violence law, and got the government to withdraw a law that would have restricted NGOs in their funding, travel to conferences, and their right to gather. • Karama members in Syria published the first-ever national survey on reform of the personal status lawsthat are prejudicial to women, and demonstrated that 92% to 98% of Syrian women and 72% to 94% of Syrian men support amending legislationto expand women's rights • At the UN Commission on the Status of Women, Karama delegates fromEgypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, and Sudanrevived and led theMiddle East NGO Caucusandhad the honor ofdelivering the oral statements before the UN assembly. • In 2007Karamawas honored as a Model of Best Practices in the Arab Region, selectedbythe United Nations University Conference in Amman, Jordan. KARAMA UNTIL THE VIOLENCE STOPS

4. Enforcing CEDAW • After Karama members submitted a Supplementary CEDAW Shadow Reporton the rights of refugee and stateless women in Lebanon… • …the UN CEDAW committee instructed the Lebanese government for the first time to pursue andreport results to improve the status and conditions of refugee womenand girls as a measure of compliance with CEDAW. KARAMA UNTIL THE VIOLENCE STOPS

5. Enforcing CEDAW • After Karama partners in Jordan submitted a CEDAW Shadow Report to the UN and met with Jordanian authorities… • …the JordanianParliament backed a domestic violence law, now awaiting approval in the Senate, and the government withdrew a law that would have restricted NGO funding, the right to gather and the right to participate in international conferences.  KARAMA UNTIL THE VIOLENCE STOPS

6. Stirring Public Will • When Karama members in Syria published the first-ever national survey on reform of the personal status laws which are prejudicial to women… • …it demonstrated that 92% to 98% of Syrian women and 72% to 94% of Syrian men support amending legislationto expand women's rights KARAMA UNTIL THE VIOLENCE STOPS

7. Recognizing Arab Women's Leadership • When Karama delegates fromEgypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, andSudanattended the UN Commission on the Status of Women… • …werevived and led the Middle East NGO Caucusandwon the opportunity to deliver the Caucus’ oral statements before the United Nations assembly. KARAMA UNTIL THE VIOLENCE STOPS

8. Recognizing Arab Women's Leadership • When Karama helped The Arab Women's Fundlaunch as a new means of support in the region… • …together we created'Mahfoutha', the Sindiyanat al-Karama Award, a prize given every November 25 to a courageous woman who stands up as a defender of dignity and a public foe to violence KARAMA UNTIL THE VIOLENCE STOPS

9. Recognizing Karama • In 2007 the United Nations University Conference in Amman, Jordan, selected and honored Karama… • … as a Model of Best Practices in the Arab Region KARAMA UNTIL THE VIOLENCE STOPS