Mideast Women Hone Business, Legal Skills in United States
Washington th Thirty-six women from the Middle East and North Africa are in the United States to participate in six-month fellowships intended to develop their educational and leadership skills. The fellows th selected from more than 500 applicants th will work at major companies and law firms in the United States.
(Media-Newswire.com) - Washington – Thirty-six women from the Middle East and North Africa are in the United States to participate in six-month fellowships intended to develop their educational and leadership skills.
The fellows – selected from more than 500 applicants – will work at major companies and law firms in the United States. The participants, who range in age from 22 to 32, come from Algeria, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, the Palestinian Territories, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen. Fellows were selected based on their leadership potential and commitment to professional growth in the business and legal sectors of their countries.
The fellowships were awarded under the Department of State's Middle East Partnership Initiative ( MEPI ). MEPI was established in 2002 to support economic, political and educational development in the Middle East and to promote opportunities for women in the region.
The fellows are participating in a four-week executive study program on law or business at the University of Pennsylvania’s Law School and Wharton School, both in Philadelphia. During their stay they are going on field trips, participating in lectures and learning about American history. The women also spent three days in Washington, where they met with State Department officials and representatives of congressional committees.
Mona El Mourad, who works for a consulting company in Tripoli, Lebanon, left her country for the first time to participate in the fellowship. After her classes end at the Wharton School, she will be working at Intel in San Jose, California. El Mourad told USINFO March 28 that she hopes to improve her leadership skills, become more confident when speaking to executives and customers and to learn more about market research.
El Mourad wanted to study in the United States because it is a leader in business and marketing products, she said. "I wanted to learn from the best, to learn the things that make them successful," she said. "I want to contribute to society by learning skills that improve my company and environment."
El Mourad said she is beginning to learn these skills in her classes, where the professors not only provide information, but supply the tools necessary to apply the knowledge gained.
Students at the law school are learning about American law. Linda Skandri, a legal adviser from Algeria, is considering how she can apply elements of the American legal system to the work she does in her country.
"I have noticed the method of teaching [in the United States] is different," Skandri said, "there is a lot of interactivity and the professors are really great."
Skandri said that the U.S. legal system differs from the Algerian system because of its separation of powers. Even though Algerian judges are independent, the system of checks and balances is not as well developed, she told USINFO.
Skandri will be interning at the Dallas law firm of Locke Liddell. Law firms do not exist in Algeria, Skandri said. Instead lawyers tend to work independently. Skandri said she is looking forward to gaining experience at the firm. "I am really excited to know how it works from the inside."
The participants are and will be leaders in their countries, said Sonia Franceski, MEPI's economic pillar manager. "The women participating in this program will bring these experiences back to the region and share what they learn and hopefully mentor others," she said. Franceski said the fellowships are designed to empower women, and give them opportunities to develop their leadership skills and take on new roles in their companies.
Alumnae of the program, in its third year, already have begun to make a difference in their countries by promoting reform, Franceski said. Some of the women have started their own businesses. One woman in Lebanon has established a nongovernmental organization to defend women’s and children's rights. Another encouraged her office in Dubai to allow employees to take one day off per month to volunteer in their communities, an idea she got from her internship with the Wachovia Corporation.
Both El Mourad and Skandri plan to continue to work for their current companies when they complete their fellowships. They also aspire to start their own operations. El Mourad wants to open her own business, and Skandri aspires to start a law firm.
For more information, see Middle East Partnership Initiative.
( USINFO is produced by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov ) By Michelle Austein USINFO Staff Writer
Release Date
This story was released on 2007-03-30. Please make sure to visit the official company or organization web site to learn more about the original release date. See our disclaimer for additional information.
