What does the West really know?

Recently, I participated in a weekend class through American University’s Women in Politics Institute, Women in Foreign Relations. The class explored the influence and the role of the United States Congress in foreign relations, through pieces of legislation that have been recently introduced. For example, S. 2982, the International Violence Against Women Act, and H.R. 2214, the Afghan Women Empowerment Act, would develop a role for the United States in the international arena, by providing aid, resources, and educational programs, among other things. However, the legislation introduced to the U.S. Congress is an interpretation by the United States as to how certain situations should be handled abroad. Legislation introduced in the United States is not necessarily a reflection on how the people in these countries would resolve or cope with their struggles. Although hearings are held to get the opinions of people on the ground and experts on the issues, it is difficult to account for cultural and traditional differences.

I think there is uncertainty as to what should be the roles of Western countries and organizations, especially the United States and the United Nations. The United Nations World Health Organization is the leading force in global health matters, by creating programs, setting an agenda, offering resources and technologies, and setting standards. Recently, the World Health Organization in Afghanistan hosted an International Women’s Day and a campaign to end violence against women. The World Health Organization on the ground in Afghanistan seeks to incorporate the Afghan people in their movements, but how is participation received? How do the Afghan people see the presence of the World Health Organization?

After having studied gendered struggles in the Middle East this semester, I think it would be interesting to dive a little deeper into how the United States and international organizations like the United Nations and the World Health Organization are represented in Middle Easter countries. It would also be valuable to see how the interaction between Westerners and those in the Middle East play out on a daily basis and to see if the efforts made on the ground are effective.

The World Health Organization in Afghanistan

WHO Afghan Reproductive Health

Afghan Ministry of Public Health

"Rana's Wedding"

Rana’s Wedding (2002), directed by Hany Abu-Assad tells the story of a young woman in Palestine, who is given a choice by her father: either pick a husband from the list of men, who have already asked for her hand, or leave the country for Egypt with her father. In the morning Rana wakes up and sneaks out of the house to search for Khalil, the man she loves and wishes to marry. Khalil is not on the list of men her father has given Rana, and because she not yet twenty-one she needs permission from her father to marry Khalil. Searching frantically, Rana has limited time to find Khalil and the Registrar, before her father takes her to Egypt later that afternoon.

Throughout the film Rana must deal with both figurative and literal roadblocks to reach her lover. In one scene Rana, alone, is walking down a narrow passage, between tall, thick walls. Upon reaching a crossroad, Rana is faced with fierce barking dog. (Scene pictured upper left). Not only does Rana need to overcome the military roadblocks and those formed by people, mourning deaths and fighting to for their lives, she needs to overcome the boundaries set by society and the city walls.

Foucault looked a representation with a lens focused on the circulation of power. In Rana’s Wedding, various forces of power affect how Rana sees life and how she goes about getting what she wants. Her father may exert power by forcing her to choose a husband or go to Egypt, but Rana exerts power by challenging his ultimatum and searching for Khalil on her own. Similar to the discussions we’ve had in class, time is also a force that has a lot of power. The camera angles and shots influence the spectators’ perceptions of urgency, as the characters race against the clock to find the missing pieces to the puzzle.

The confines of the city walls, the minutes on the clock, and in one scene, the entrapment of the car, all seemingly powerless forces exert the most force on Rana’s existence in the film. She is forced onto a narrow path, on this day in her life, and her only way of fighting back is to race the clock, overcome the roadblocks, and find her lover. Rana refuses what society and her father has offered, and she seeks the path to her own future.