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Middle East Hub


The Middle East Hub is based at the Social Research Center, American University Cairo, Egypt:

Convenor: Hania Sholkamy

Social Research Center
The American University in Cairo
113 Sharia Qasr el Ainin
Cairo
Egypt
Website: http://www.aucegypt.edu/src/

The Social Research Center conducts and encourages multidisciplinary social science research in Egypt and the Arab region, trains researchers, guides and assists scholars and organizations engaged in social science research in the region.

Team Members:
Ragie Assad
Kristina Hallez
Heba Nassar
Hoda Rashad
Ekbal Sameh (Communications)
Mulki Sharmani
Gunilla Soliman (Programme Administration)

Partners:

Birzeit University, Palestine:
Islah Jad
Penny Johnson
Aitemad Muhanna
Randa Nasser
Nahda Shehada
Website: http://www.birzeit.edu/

Ahfad University, Sudan
Balghis Badri
Nafisa Bedri
Mai Ezzeldin
Website: http://www.ahfad.org/

The Women in Memory Forum, Egypt
Website: http://www.wmf.org.eg/
Population Council, Regional Office
Website: http://www.popcouncil.org/me/egypt.html

Research

Despite decades of development, analysis and activism the questions surrounding the pathways women take to realise empowerment and equity are still unanswered, and the research strategy for this region aims to address this.  The RPC will mainly work in Egypt, Palestine and Sudan, and will engage in its activities wider networks of researchers, activists and practitioners in the Arab region using the following four principles to guide them:

    • Integration and articulation of activities
    • Mutual capacity building
    • Create a locally relevant and meaningful literature on women’s empowerment in Arabic and simultaneously develop the ability to critically engage with global debates and policy
    • Connect activities to changing realities on the ground

    Projects

    Qalet el Rawiyah (so said the story teller)

    Conceptualizing Empowerment in Sudan

    Construction and Deconstruction of the Concept of Empowerment in General and that of Women Empowerment in Particular in the Palestinian Context

    Talking Empowerment in Plain Arabic

    Between Feminism and Fundamentalism

    Female preachers in Gaza

    Analysing the Egypt Labour Market Survey

    Cash Transfers for Poor Families in Egypt

    Family Courts in Egypt: An Exit from Marriage on a Pathway to Empowerment?

    Celibacy in Patriarchal Society