Initially established in Oakland, California in 1921, the first Soroptimist Club formed a baseline for the formation of a global volunteer movement of over 80,000 existing clubs with members in 132 countries working together to better the lives of women and young girls around the world. In looking at the Latin root of the word ‘Soroptimist’, soror, which means sister, and optima, denoting best, the organization arrives more as a global sisterhood that works with international agencies like the United Nations and the Association for Women’s Rights in Development when it comes to setting the club’s agenda and goals.
Before we delve into the organization’s goals and ambitions, let’s backtrack a little bit. While being affiliated with an international organization underscores the very notion of reach and success, it’s still been a long time coming for this remarkable group of women in Kuwait that could. What first began as a dream by former president Dr. Stacy Al-Ghawas, is now burgeoning into a lively hub for women from all walks of life. In a previous statement to local newspaper the Arab Times, Dr. Ghawas cites how the Soroptimist International Club Kuwait organization was first chartered four years ago from very humble beginnings, the basement of her home. All it took was this coming together of strong, hardworking women who work tirelessly and cohesively to empower one another and others. An admirable feat, surely, but much easier said than done.
Soroptimist Kuwait, as part of the Soroptimist International Club, stands for the voice of women and girls, aims to further their education and professional development, focuses on training, fighting violence against women by and promoting gender equality.
The Soroptimist Kuwait chapter has been in existence for four years, and yet they believe there is still so much work to do. This is an endeavor that the 47-member chapter of Kuwaiti and expat women alike has taken upon themselves to achieve along with the support of volunteer persons and organizations. From business, medicine, education, law, politics, marketing, media to finance, Soroptimist Kuwait members are diverse in their strengths and talents, allowing the chapter to aptly be present for women in various local social and economic demographics. It is this sense of accessibility that current president, creative educator and professor of Visual Communication and Design at Kuwait University, Founder of Wellness Kuwait, and Senior Art Psychotherapist Dr. Amar Behbehani is keen on preserving and growing. With this in mind, Soroptimist Kuwait is looking to reach a younger crowd of women. From college students to seasoned professionals—there is always room for growth, mentorship, and forming a robust support system for women in Kuwait.
Dr. Bebehani previously stated to the Arab Times, “My personal vision [as president of the Soroptimist Kuwait Club] is to shed light on the women’ s leadership process in Kuwait and to work collaboratively with governmental and non-governmental entities to achieve our goals as a local NGO that has an international presence in the United Nations. I am proud of what we have accomplished. And we thank the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor for their effort in helping us rise as an NGO.”
The element of collaboration features strongly in Soroptimist Kuwait’s agenda, as the organization worked and continues to work with local groups, governmental and non-governmental organizations to usher in actionable plans and achievements that further their goals. Soroptimist Kuwait has championed the Thalassemia Awareness Campaign, advocating for the opening of a blood diseases center to serve those with hematology challenges, a symposium on gender equality featuring local ministers and political figures, a panel on palliative Care and the shroud of misinformation that surrounds this issue, the Manara Coalition whic advocates for the safety of women and girls in Kuwait, and the Waraqati project.
The Waraqati project was a crucial awareness objective for Soroptimist Kuwait. Aimed to help local women better understand their rights granted by the Kuwaiti constitution, various legislations of Kuwait and in turn, the international conventions and agreements signed by the nation, knowledge is empowerment, and without knowledge of their full rights as women, many lives are at risk. The current knowledge about these laws, relevant to the women’s place in the family and the workplace, as presented by United Nations Development Program in Kuwait in four Arabic handbooks, was only available in Arabic, and Soroptimist Kuwait went on to translate these documents in English and distributed them throughout Kuwait and the GCC. This ensures the accessibility of information and education to myriad people who may not necessarily speak Arabic as a first language.
Another important cause that Soroptimist Kuwait continues to champion is ensuring the safety of women and their protection against violence. Establishing the EVAW (Eliminating violence against women) campaign, as well as the Women Wellness Campaign sponsored by Al-Hadi hospital, and hosting educational seminars aimed at the youth in schools. Since 2016, they’ve adopted the OrangeQ8 Campaign, signaling their commitment to the International Human Rights Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. From the 25th of November and up until the 10th of December
of last year alone, they’ve carried out activities across these sixteen days to highlight the need to end violence against women and girls.
As part of the international campaign, they’ve not only utilized the campaign’s signature Orange color, they also resourcefully actioned the hashtags #OrangeQ8 and #NotOK on social media, facilitating for swift public engagement online. Complete with workshops, events, and major networking events with political groups, concerned persons and organizations, they went on to tackle a topic that many people still consider to be taboo. Campaign Coordinator Zahra Al Qattan noted the public’s overwhelming response through the combined efforts of events and social media awareness, and Dr. Amar Behbehani further highlighted at a United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW convention held at Kuwait University’s College of Sciences, that, according to a survey of 767 people in Kuwait alone, 51.2% have been affected by violence. The statistics cited at the event arrive from a wider survey conducted by Abolish 153, and Dr. Amar marked the importance of not only ensuring the safety of women in Kuwait, but also the safety of everyone in Kuwait as a basic human right.
The campaign did in fact yield promising results, starting with shedding light on deeply important awareness factors. Since the start of the campaign, Soroptimist Kuwait has established an action plan, launching monthly seminars to provide assistance and guidance to university students affected by domestic violence, as well as advocating for the formation of a safe house for female victims of violence in Kuwait that is soon to open its doors. A monthly survey is also in circulation to collect data about violence against people, with a goal to widen the scope of participants to achieve more accurate findings about the causes and effects of violence.
While Soroptimist Kuwait aims to garner the efforts of more female volunteers, they ensure that the advancement of women in Kuwait cannot be achieved without the involvement of male supporters and volunteers. The organization welcomes male involvement and their championing of important female causes, as Soroptimist Kuwait is all about achieving equality for all, a universal right of all human beings.
The current board of the Soroptimist Kuwait Chapter includes Dr. Amar Behbehani (President), Mai Alhajaj (Vice President), Tahera Alawadhi (PR and Media Officer), Dr. Iman Albasiri (Assistant Program Director), Zahra Al-Qattan (General Secretary), Dr. Linda Fouke (Program Director), Dr. Nowall Al-Sayegh (Treasurer) and Nefise Koc (Membership Officer).
For more information, please visit @SoroptimistKuwait on Instagram, and soroptomistkuwait.org. Photography by Caroline Ericson, @PixbyCaroline on Instagram.
