IWG celebrates Int’l Women’s Day with fashion and talk
Afabulous celebration of International Women’s Day was organised by the International Women’s Group Kuwait (IWG) at the Crowne Plaza Hotel on Sunday, March 5th. The event included a moderated discussion on women’s empowerment featuring the experience and perspectives of six outstanding women leaders. Following the discussion there was a magnificent fashion show especially curated for the IWG by the well-known Moroccan designer Hayat Karimi.
IWG President Ghada Shawky, wife of the Egyptian Ambassador to Kuwait, welcomed the distinguished guests with an inspiring speech highlighting the global significance of International Women’s Day. She explained that for more than 100 years, International Women’s Day has been putting the spotlight on issues affecting women all over the world. It also celebrates their achievements.
Focusing on the Middle East and North Africa she stated that Arab women are excelling in all fields, from medicine to scientific research, politics, sports, and more. “For example, there are eight Kuwaiti women among Forbes Middle East’s 100 most powerful businesswomen for the year 2023,” she said.
“Being a woman means being powerful and assertive yet kind at the same time. It means being compassionate and vulnerable towards those we love without feeling weak for doing so. It means striving for goals even in the face of the adversity we may encounter along the way,” she continued.
Encouraging
She emphasized the importance of encouraging girls to pursue their dreams by giving them undivided attention. “Help them set attainable goals and encourage them to visualize those goals. Also reinforce the importance of positive life skills such as hard work, persistence, resilience, and responsibility…”
Along with other advice she read some words of wisdom by Eleanor Roosevelt: “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” Wishing a happy International Women’s Day to “strong, intelligent, talented, and simply wonderful women,” she concluded with the words of Walt Whitman: “Keep your face towards the sunshine and shadows will fall behind you.”
With the stage for International Women’s Day well set by the IWG President, it was time for the panel discussion. The moderator was media personality Chaitali B Roy. As an experienced cultural journalist, radio broadcaster, podcaster, and author of “Women of Kuwait: Turning Tides,” Chaitali seamlessly led the discussion and enlivened it with her own special insights.
“We have some extraordinary women on this panel, and in this room,” Chaitali said. She noted that there’s a strong sense of independence and enterprise in most Kuwaiti women, which is not something new. It goes back to the preoil era, when the menfolk spent long periods at sea for pearl diving or trading voyages and it was the women who looked after the home and community.
The panelists included MP Alya Al Khaled, Abolish 153 Co-founder Sundus Hamza, Artist Thuraya Al Baqsami, Guyana’s Charge D’Affairs to Kuwait Neera Dukhi, and Consultant Dermatologist Dr Sahar Ghannam. Each panelist was asked two questions and given three minutes to answer each question.
Chaitali introduced Alya Al Khaled not just as a Member of Parliament but also a developmental researcher, businesswoman, columnist, and thinker. “Out of 305 candidates, only 22 women stood for elections last year. Ms Al Khaled is one of two women who made it to parliament. Youth and its empowerment is her overriding concern, followed by art and culture, civil rights and social action, economic empowerment, education, and the environment.”
Leadership
The MP’s first question was, “What can be done to increase female leadership in Kuwaiti politics?”
Answering from her own experience she stated that a woman should have a set of skills and the required experience, and a certain goal in mind that she aims to achieve, regardless of what’s going on around her. Education is the true power for any woman, she remarked, and she should never give up, noting that she ran for parliament and lost in 2020, then went back to school and studied law, and ran again and was elected in 2022.
Answering the question about what was the most significant barrier in her career she stated that there’s a social mindset that holds that women are not made for politics. “This mindset is changeable, however, and with love and a smile I proved myself. If we know exactly what we want, we can achieve it,” she said.
The second panelist, Sundus Hamza, is the Co-founder of Abolish 153, an awareness campaign against domestic violence, and is one of the country’s leading activists. “A remarkable woman, she’s at the forefront of the fight against gender-based violence not only in Kuwait but in the Middle East,” Chaitali said.
Her first question was, “How important is it to have a mentor in order to grow as a leader?”
Sundus explained that after graduating from university, she was one of the first women to work in the field of technology in the private sector in Kuwait. It was a man’s world and the concept of mentorship didn’t exist. But she listened and learned, developing her skills and building useful alliances through business relationships.
She noted that when there were only a few women in this competitive field there was fierce competition between them for the few positions open for
women. In her opinion, every woman who makes it to the top should mentor younger women, and on the other hand, older women should be valued for their knowledge and experience.
When asked how women should be encouraged not to give up, Sundus spoke about the work being done by the Abolish 153 campaign. “We talk about the empowerment of women, but how can women be empowered if they’re abused and their rights are takenaway? We help women become survivors, not victims.”
Sundus mentioned an app developed by Abolish 153 called Thoubha. It can conveniently be used by all women who are victims of violence or abuse, even if they’re afraid or unable to speak out. Doctors, lawyers, educators and others provide information that’s useful to women and information is collected and passed on to officials and lawmakers. Sundus noted that MP Alya Al Khaled and the Soroptimist Kuwaitorganisation are supporting the efforts of Abolish 153to improve laws for victims of abuse in Kuwait.
The next panelist, Thuraya Al Baqsami, is one of Kuwait’s most prolific artists. One of the first active female artists in the Arabian Gulf region, she’s also a novelist and writer. The winner of many awards, she has 62 personal exhibitions to her name held in different parts of the world, including places as remote as Eritrea.
When asked about her career journey, Thuraya said she became involved in art at an early age and studied art at university in Moscow. She also practiced art in Cairo and Senegal. Returning to Kuwait she got a job with a government magazine and found herself working with men and being discriminated against. Nevertheless, she proved her worth as a writer and artist. In a three-year stretch she once completed 3,000 paintings.
Representations of women are very important in her art and writing, and she depicts their struggle in life. She recalled the time in 1996 when she took part in a demonstration for women’s political
rights. Marching to the polling station in Mishref with a group of women, they were met by police who told them to go home and take care of their children.
“It’s a different time now and I’m so happy we have these two ladies in parliament. They will give us a voice,” she said.
Creativity
When asked for her advice for aspiring artists, Thuraya said you have to work hard because nothing is easy. “Be honest with your creativity and set goals.”
The fourth panelist, Nisreen Rubaian, is Representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Kuwait. During her twentyyear career with UNHCR she has served in a number of different posts and positions in Romania, Jordan, Nauru, Pakistan, Sierra Leon, the UAE, and Libya.
When asked which factors impact a woman’s ability to lead others, Nisreen
replied that the ability to influence and persuade others is key. She spoke of changing conditions in the world of humanitarian aid, saying that in years gone by when people were displaced, whether by conflict or natural disasters, domestic violence against women was a huge problem as men took their frustrations and anger out on women, regardless of the reason for displacement. Happily, things have now improved dramatically in this respect.
She noted that there are now many females working on the front lines in her field but still relatively few at the top. “We still need many years to bridge the gap of gender equality,” she said.
Nisreen’s second question was, “How do you encourage women not to give up?” Having been part of a leadership triangle with two males in which she was often sidelined, Nisreen said it’s always necessary to repeatedly state your opinion and amplify your success.
The next panelist, NeeraDukhi, Guyana’s
Charge D’Affairs to Kuwait, has served her country in various positions in New York and at the United Nations. Her achievements include leading crosscultural teams, establishing strategic alliances, and policy creation. She has a strong academic background in legal studies and is currently pursuing her PhD.
Chaitali asked Neera how she finds balance in her life, remarking that for most women, balance is the most elusive and ephemeral quality that women search for throughout their lives. Neera remarked that balance comes with a lot of self-esteem and respect for your own time as well as that of others. Make schedules, set priorities, and practice time management, she advised. However, women never seem to have enough time, particularly mothers, she lamented.
Identity
When asked about the benefits of having women in leadership, Neera replied that when women are given the chance they are unstoppable and the sky is the limit. “Women of my generation were taught to be housewives, but we have the potential to do so much, we should also be leaders,” she said.
The final panelist was Dr Sahar Ghannam, a renowned consultant in dermatology, venereology, cosmetic dermatology, and laser. She has served innumerable patients in Kuwait since 1997 and in the greater Gulf region since 2010. She is the first Arab doctor to be President of the International Society for Dermatological Surgery and Aesthetics, and is a past President of the International Peeling Society, also a first for an Arab doctor. An active member of several other professional societies, she serves on different medical boards and also teaches and writes about issues in her field.
Before answering the question on how she built confidence and resilience
in her career, Dr Sahar mentioned that although she’s Egyptian she has a Kuwaiti identity since she has lived here almost all of her life. While studying she felt she wanted to be somebody special and not just another doctor, so she decided to invest in herself by travelling, reading, researching, learning new procedures and techniques, going to meetings and eventually becoming a member in various medical societies. Extremely interested in regenerative medicine, she is a member of some institutes that are among the pioneers in the field of longevity.
“For a long time we were saying that 60 is the new 40, but now we also say that 80 is the new 60,” she says.
As for the question about how ambitious women are perceived by society, DrSahar replied that unfortunately it’s still a man’s world. “When you’re at the bottom of the ladder no one cares about you, but when you attain more knowledge and a higher position, people try to use you or push you around. Human beings, whatever their gender, should have fixed ideas about what they want to achieve,” she concluded.
With that, the panel discussion came to an end and it was time for the lighter part of the program: a fashion show by Hayat Karimi of Royal Style, Marrakech. The collection consisted of stunning long gowns based on the style of the traditional Moroccan woman’s kaftan, many with the characteristic hood and flowing silhouette.
Accented by ornate belts and heavilyembellished with beads, sequins, crystals, and hand-embroidery, the gowns feature Moroccan ornamentation techniques that have been passed down for generations. Some were trimmed with the hand-made silk braid called sfifa and sported cherry-shaped buttons known as aakad. Whether in basic black, pastels, or bright colors, the kaftans were dramatic examples of timeless elegance.