The UCLA Center for Middle East Development hosted the event, "Women in Conflict: Voices, Resilience, and Solutions" on May 1, 2024.

Some wartime experiences of women are often overlooked and overshadowed. Historically, traditional gender roles intensify, with men typically assuming combat roles while women are relegated to supporting or domestic duties. Even when women step forward to contribute to economic or field roles, they are often pushed back into “their” traditional roles, post-war. Our panel of experts from Israel, Palestine, Sudan, and Syria will share the stories of women impacted by conflict in the MENA region— providing insight into the diverse roles they play, from frontline activism to behind-the-scenes peacemaking. Ultimately, the goal is to dismantle patriarchal norms, learn more about the resilience women demonstrate in confronting adversity, and to amplify their voices as agents of change and peace.

MEET THE PANELISTS

Ms. Na'ama Barak Wolfman joined the Israeli grassroots peace movement, Women Wage Peace, seven years ago and has since filled various positions in the organization. From 2022 until 2024, she was a part of the steering committee and is now currently a member of the strategic and international relations team. Ms. Barak Wolfman received her BA in Psychology, with group facilitation accreditation, specializing in working with the elderly. Ms. Na'ama Barak Wolfman is a collector and writer of life stories and biographies.  

Dr. Mona Demaidi is an entrepreneur and women’s rights advocate whose research focuses on building personalized learning environments and obtained three research awards. Besides her academic work, Dr. Mona developed the AI National Strategy in Palestine. In addition, she is the chairwoman of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Palestine and was awarded the senior membership, and is an active member of several societies that globally support youth and women in the technology sector. Dr. Demaidi is the founder of PALMEC International, which upskills Palestinian youth in the tech sector, and in 2022, she obtained the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization award for the most influential woman in the MENA region in STEM. She obtained her PhD in machine learning and an MSc with distinction in software engineering from the University of Manchester, UK.

Dr. Ammar Kahf is the co-founder and executive director of the Omran Center for Strategic Studies, a Syria-focused policy research center established in Istanbul in November 2013 with a presence in Washington. He is also a founding board member of the Syrian Forum. Dr. Kahf earned a PhD from UCLA in 2011 with a dissertation entitled, “Syrian Authoritarianism: Persistence or Change.” His work focuses on geopolitical political alignments, security and military architecture in Syria, and local governance in Syria. Dr. Kahf’s last published work was on decentralization as an entry point to the political process in Syria.

Ms. Weam Shawgi Hassan is originally from Khartoum, Sudan. After the war, she moved south to the city of Wad Medani, and I am currently residing in East Africa. Ms. Shawgi Hassan identifies herself as a feminist and a defender of gender rights. Her work primarily involves research and data collection, focusing on documenting oral stories, struggles, and violations experienced by women in Sudan during the ongoing war, especially during key political events from 2019 to 2023. Through her research, she aims to shed light on the untold stories of resilience and resistance among women, offering a deeper understanding of the gender dynamics in Sudan's recent history of conflict.

MEET THE MODERATORS

Ms. Kahina Bouagache is an attorney and senior legal counsel and holds a Master's in international business and humanitarian law. She began her professional career in the year 2000 as a chief litigator. Ms. Bouagache joined the American Bar Association for five years as a legal advisor and program manager and worked closely with attorneys, judges, and law court personnel on reforms to the ethics code in the legal system in both Algeria and Morocco. As a coordinator for Amideast, she brought together young professionals from the MENA region. Ms. Bouagache organized training opportunities and conferences related to themes such as education, women, business, and politics. As a corporate lawyer and transition manager for the North Africa and Maghreb region, she worked establishing and running legal departments.

Ms. Sammar Smesme is currently a Master’s Candidate at University College London. She was previously the research and program manager for UCLA’s Center for Middle East Development where she worked with our international partners to coordinate the content of CMED conferences. Ms. Smesme has also held positions at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and the Milken Institute. She graduated from UCLA with a Bachelor’s in International Development Studies in 2016.