Women’s Rights Advocates from the Middle East gather in Oslo

On Thursday 22 March at 18:00 Women’s Rights Advocates from Syria, Yemen, Jordan, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Libya will gather at the Nobel Peace Center. Women in Charge: a new perspective on the Middle East through the lens of women’s rights leaders is the first annual event of the newly established Oslo Women’s Rights Initiative. The event is open for the public and media.

-Our mission is to bring together women’s rights activists from countries with extreme gender equality issues. Although the women from these countries share many similarities in their struggle, they have not had many opportunities to collaborate. And an ideal place in the world to do so is Norway - the country that leads the world in women’s rights and gender equality, says the initiative’s founder, Maryam Nayeb Yazdi.

From the stage at the Nobel Peace Center, three prominent advocates of women’s rights in the Middle East will share their stories. The three are: Nargess Tavassolian, Iranian journalist and lawyer and the daughter of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi; Asma Khalifa, Libyan activist and researcher and Afaf Jabiri, author and lecturer from Jordan.

Their key note speeches will be followed by a panel debate led by Liv Tørres, the Director of the Nobel Peace Center.

The event is a collaboration between Oslo Women’s Rights Initiative, Civita and the Nobel Peace Center. Oslo Women’s Rights Initiative is sponsored by Norwegian organizations, including Fritt Ord and the Grieg Foundation.

Individual interviews:

Nargess Tavassolian, Asma Khalifa, Afaf Jabiri and Maryam Nayeb Yazdi will be available for individual media interviews at the Nobel Peace Center between 14:00 and 16:00 on Thursday 22 March. Please contact Ingvill Bryn Rambøl, +47 924 52 944 / ibr@nobelpeacecenter to schedule.