The North-South Centre of the Council of Europe is organising a workshop for breaking stereotypes and raise awareness on the role of women in the global challenges, in the framework of the 18th University on Youth and Development (UYD).

Under the theme of “Developing Global Identities”, two experts in women rights issues, Soumeya Lerari - Women's Earth, Climate Action Network International and Mediterranean Youth Climate Network - and Jennifer Philippa Eggert - from Warwick University - will address young participants of the UYD about the “Gender equality perspective in (re-) defining global identities”.

Focusing on women participation in public and private sectors, Soumeya Lerari, will explain the challenges activist, in particular women activists, face in the MENA region, to become relevant in the decision making processes. Youth participation and international cooperation play an important role to address these challenges.

Jennifer Philippa Eggert will focus on the need to reinforce the role of women, and youth, in peace and security processes. Based on case studies and best practice, the expert will demonstrate how strategies for preventing and eradicating violent political movement are increasingly using non-coercive approaches.

With this workshop, the North-South Centre of the Council of Europe will promote a reflection on women political identity, based on best practices and role models, both in European and Middle Eastern regions and on the international instruments such as the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (the Istanbul Convention).

Soumeya Lerari Mouzai – Algeria

Co-coordinator in Middle East and Northern Africa (MENA) region of Women's Earth Climate Action (WECAN) International Organisation and Vice-Secretary General of the Mediterranean Youth Climate Network (MYCN), Blogger, women’s rights activist and storyteller on topics such as women’s identity (s), Women’s movements in North Africa, Women’s role in climate change and gender based violence.

Soumeya Lerari is a young activist in environmental, social and women’s rights issues from Algeria. She has been living in Spain for the past six years where she graduated with a Bachelor degree in International Business and a trilingual Master Degree in European and International Business Management.

She joined WECAN in 2014 after completing the MENA regional online training course. Since then, she engaged more actively in environmental activism.  She represented WECAN at the Mediterranean Youth Climate Forum in Morocco in 2016, and is currently participating in the creation of the Mediterranean Youth Climate Network as a WECAN MENA representative.

She participated in many international youth events aiming at enhancing international youth cooperation and treat topics such as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Soumeya also runs a bilingual blog on Women's rights called "Kalimate Blog". She is convinced of the necessity of putting women and girls at the heart of the fight against climate change, especially in the MENA region, and also believes that regional and international cooperation and solidarity are crucial to create a fair and sustainable world for all of us.

Soumeya Lerari  

Article: De l'obligation d'être féministe

Jennifer Philippa Eggert – United Kingdom

PhD Candidate on Female combatants, non-state political violence and organisational decision making, Young researcher on Stereotypes of the relation between women and political violence: women in the so-called 'Islamic State' and Al-Qaeda in Iraq, women and jihadi extremism more generally, gender and counter extremism/de-radicalisation, portrayals of muslim women in western media, experiences of migrants crossing the Mediterranean.

Jennifer Philippa Eggert is a Doctoral Research Fellow at the Department of Politics and International Studies at the University of Warwick, UK. Her PhD research focuses on the role of women in the different militias operating during the Lebanese Civil War. She has also published research on women in the ISIL/DAESH and Al-Qaeda in Iraq.

Jennifer regularly speaks about the prevention of extremism, women and political violence as well as intercultural relations and facilitates counter-extremism and community engagement trainings.

Jenniffer Philippa Eggert

Article : Mothers, bombs, and a whole lot of gender clichés