The Statement of Solidarity and Shared Principles

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We, the undersigned members, partners, and allies of the MENA Women's Coalition (MWC), unite to affirm a shared vision for a just, equitable, and sustainable future. We face a moment of profound, interconnected crises, and we are compelled to act.

By endorsing this statement, we commit to the following principles, presented in a logical sequence that moves from problem to solution to action.

1. Acknowledging the Intersectional Crisis

We recognize that the escalating climate disasters, devastating wars, acts of ecocide, genocides where women and children are the main victims, and resulting food insecurity in the MENA region are not separate issues. They are the direct outcomes of a system of man-made destruction, injustice, and colonial frameworks. This is an intersectional crisis, where the violence against our land is inseparable from the violence against our people. The impact of this crisis is a present and urgent threat to us and to all future generations.

2. Recognizing Women as the Driving Force for Solutions

We are guided by the belief that "those closest to the pain are closest to the solution." - Linda Sarsour. We affirm that the primary agents for mitigating this harm are the grassroots women within our communities. In Arab and Muslim societies, grassroots women are the driving force of resilience, adaptation, and survival. It is their traditional and lived expertise, their indigenous knowledge, and their local wisdom that hold the essential keys to building sustainable food systems and restoring ecological balance. Our heritage is not a relic of the past; it is the blueprint for our future.

3. The Demand for Power and Policy

We are committed to building our "own authentic indigenous institutions as an expression of will and spirit of the people." - Dr. Hanan Ashrawi. Because grassroots women are the solution, it is an undeniable imperative that they have a seat at the table where these institutions and policies are designed. We demand that their right to power is not just acknowledged, but institutionalized. Meaningful change is impossible as long as the women implementing solutions on the ground are excluded from the halls of power.

4. Our Foundational Values

Our power demand is guided by a set of non-negotiable values that honor the intersectional reality of our lives:

On Dignity and Freedom of Choice: We stand for the absolute right of every woman to self-determination. We unequivocally support and respect the choices women make for their own bodies, lives, and expressions of identity, be they religious or non-religious. We actively reject and work to dismantle the stigmatization of all women, particularly the harmful narratives often imposed upon Muslim and Arab women.

On Collective Security and Solidarity: We hold this truth to be self-evident: no woman is safe until all women are safe. We are guided by the principle that our liberation is collective; that none of us are free while any woman is unfree, no matter how different her shackles may be from our own. We reject the illusion of isolated security. The struggles of women facing conflict in one nation are inseparable from the struggles of those facing climate-induced famine in another. Our collective safety depends on our collective action.

The Pledge

By my endorsement, I affirm my commitment to these principles and join the MENA Women's Coalition in its work to build a world where all women are safe, respected, and leading the way.

 3. The Action: Demand for Power

Because women are the solution, we demand that their right to power is institutionalized. We are committed to building our "own authentic indigenous institutions" where women have a seat at the table and are empowered to design and shape policy, not just implement it.

4. The Foundation: Our Values

This entire process is built on the foundational values of Dignity, Self-Determination, and Collective Solidarity. We believe that no woman is safe until all women are safe, and our liberation is collective.