Arab Women Speak Out Manuals

Arab Women Speak Out™ was conceived in 1999 as an innovative documentary, training, and advocacy project designed to promote women’s empowerment and active participation in social development throughout the Near East.The project features print and video profiles of women in Egypt, Lebanon, Palestine, Tunisia, and Yemen who are perceived and respected as innovators within their communities. The primary purpose of the Arab Women Speak Out™ project is to share these women’s experiences and skills with their peers throughout the Arab region, as well as with development workers, health providers, community leaders, policy-makers, donors, and interested others. The campaign includes videos, a training module, and these profiles.

Nearly 30,000 women were reached in the governorate of Irbid through a unique two-tiered approach of AWSO™message dissemination. 98% of AWSO™Participants reported that they had benefitted from participating in AWSO™, in the form of increased self-confidence (43%); improved relationships with their spouse (32%), their families (29%), and their communities (23%); engaging in discussions about family planning with relatives (21%) as well as with friends and neighbors (23%); and speaking with someone about FP as a direct result of participation (44%).

Included here (in one PDF file) are the original manual and the manual adapted for Jordan. These training manuals provide a tool through which the key factors contributing to the success of the women profiled in the project can be explored and discussed in group settings. It includes learning exercises designed to help women strengthen their self-esteem and self-confidence; develop their negotiating, networking, and decision-making skills; identify sources of information and support; gain access to available resources; participate in public life; communicate with authority figures; and safeguard their own health.

Source: Johns Hopkins University Center for Communication Programs

Date of Publication: March 25, 2019