ShareBy Nafisa Maleah
KUWAIT: When she moved from her home country, Korea, to Kuwait, Jiye Back initially struggled to adjust to her new surroundings. However, she described how the support of women around her helped her get accustomed to living in Kuwait. “I received a lot of motherly care from the women around me. For example, it wasn’t easy for me to fit in because I was the only Korean kid at my school and didn’t know the language. Whenever I faced difficulties, most of the female teachers would act as my support system.” Then at 15 years old, to unite and support young girls in her community, Back founded Girl Up Kuwait in 2022.
Girl Up is a girl-centered leadership development initiative, focusing on equity for girls and women in spaces where they are unheard or underrepresented. It is part of the UN Foundation which funds and encourages girls to set up clubs or organizations in different locations. “I thought that if Girl Up existed here, there would be a safe space where girls can turn their ideas into actions that would bring a positive, direct impact to Kuwait’s society,” Back said.
However, being president of an organization at a young age warranted some difficulty. One challenge was gaining credibility. “Because we’re one of the few youth-led organizations in Kuwait, it means that every step we take is the first step that no one ever took,” she said. Back revealed how, in the process of setting up a conference, they had difficulty finding a venue. “When Zainah (the vice-president) and I were drafting emails and calling around, as soon as they found out we were teenagers, they would immediately assume we weren’t doing anything of value,” Back recalled, adding “some of them even assumed that we were planning a party”.
Back then realized the importance of asking for help and reached out to established contacts in her community, who helped Girl Up Kuwait gain credibility. Back was also not confident she would succeed at the beginning – as an expat, she questioned whether she would be able to successfully run the organization in Kuwait. “I thought: am I qualified for this?” But after taking the first step, Back realized that her aspirations weren’t out of reach as Girl Up Kuwait received a lot of positive feedback and support.
Girl Up member Mariem Alrabieah, a 16-year-old Kuwaiti, described how she noticed gender inequality from a young age. “When I was younger, I would visit my mom’s workplace — she used to work for the Ministry of Water and Electricity — and notice that I barely saw any women there. I would also hear stories from other Kuwaitis, such as how their families didn’t allow girls to travel abroad for university but encouraged the boys. Things like that just put everything into perspective from me,” she said.
Alrabieah also expressed her desire to defy gender stereotypes and create positive changes to Kuwaiti society. However, she said “we recognize that we have to take everything step by step. Changes to society happen slowly because it’s hard to change people’s established mindsets.” Back added: “Overall, Girl Up is trying to let young girls know that developing themselves as individuals is a positive thing.”
Ever since volunteering with Girl Up Kuwait, Dalal Esmaeel, a 16-year-old Kuwaiti, felt incentivized to become a member. Esmaeel attended their first conference titled “Future Women Leaders: Panel and Workshop”, which focused on the role of women in Kuwaiti society and politics. The panelists for the conference included former member of parliament Alia Al-Khaled, former minister Ghadeer Aseeri, and Dr Shaikha Al-Hashem. Hearing the stories of strong Kuwaiti women left a mark on her, she said.
“These women panelists started from nothing, with many people doubting them, to positions of power. For example, one of them talked about how her brother was supposed to be the one running for parliament and how her family doubted her. But she proved her family wrong and showed them that there is space for women in politics,” Esmaeel said.
Another event Girl Up Kuwait is planning is a STEM workshop where young girls could be mentored by established women in the STEM field. Additionally, the members expressed their desire to reach public school girls in Kuwait to increase the group’s diversity. When asked what advice she would give to young girls, Back said: “Just be open. One thing I learned from founding Girl Up is that I received support from multiple people and places. As long as you’re open to it, have the effort to share your ideas and think highly of yourself, your voice will be heard and you’ll receive support.”
