As the members of the ALWANE Coalition continue to investigate ways to enhance women’s roles in society, one particular member recently completed an exciting opportunity to expand his education and experience. Saif Al-Sharji, WCI’s ALWANE Oman Country Officer, recently completed a fellowship program with UNAOC, United Nations Alliance of Civilizations. The program gave leaders in the MENA region the opportunity to travel to six cities throughout the US, Germany, Belgium, and France, where they connected and shared with each other as well as their European and American counterparts. Throughout the program, the participants had the chance to meet key figures in international women’s issues, ranging from law to health. They met with members of numerous organizations including the UN, World Bank, and national governments.

Saif visits the United Nations as part of the fellowship

During the program, Saif leaped at the opportunity to share his own work as well as the undertakings of ALWANE as a whole. He shared many of the valuable components of ALWANE, describing both its structure and its developments. In particular, he espoused the benefits of the Youth Mentorship System, which allows youth to participate in policy and decision-making. Saif looked upon the opportunity positively, and felt that it gave him greater insight into the global push for women’s rights while simultaneously gave him the chance to share the accomplishments of ALWANE.

As part of the fellowship, the group visited various important institutions.

Although Saif Al-Sharji is a strong example of a young leader committed to social change, he is just one of the many members of ALWANE working toward this goal. Although the Coalition is a relatively new endeavor, it has already created a network of passionate leaders and individuals. With members like Saif, the ALWANE Coalition truly has the potential to effect positive change on the advancement of women in the region.