Rula Quawas

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Rula Quawas
Photo of Rula Quawas.jpg
Born(1960-02-25)25 February 1960
Amman, Jordan
Died25 July 2017(2017-07-25) (aged 57)
Amman, Jordan
NationalityJordanian
Alma materUniversity of Jordan, University of North Texas
OccupationEducator

Dr. Rula Butros Audeh Quawas (25 February 1960 – 25 July 2017) was a Jordanian academic, known for her advocacy for women's advancement in Jordan, and the first academic to introduce courses on feminism at the University of Jordan.

Biography[]

Quawas was born on 25 February 1960 in Amman, Jordan.[1] She attended in her youth, where her mother was a teacher.[1] She earned her B.A. in 1981 and her M.A. in 1991 from the University of Jordan while simultaneously teaching at high schools in Amman.[2][3] She went on to earn her Ph.D. from the University of North Texas.[4]

She returned to Jordan to the University of Jordan where she taught for over twenty years.[3][5] She was the first professor to teach feminist courses in the English Department.[4][6] Quawas founded the university’s Women’s Studies Center in 2006,[1] serving as Director from 2006 through 2008.[3] She also founded the Knowledge Production Unit at the Jordanian National Commission for Women.[7] She was the Dean of the Faculty of Foreign Languages at the University of Jordan from 2011-2012.[3] She was a Fulbright Scholar in Residence at Champlain College in Vermont during the 2013–4 academic year.[8]

In 2009 Princess Basma conferred Quawas the Meritorious Honor Award for Leadership and Dedication to the Empowerment of Jordanian Women. She was a nominee for the U.S. State Department's International Women of Courage Award in 2013.[8]

Quawas died on July 25, 2017 in Amman, Jordan, at the age of 57, due to complications of a biopsy.[1]

Controversy at the University of Jordan (2012)[]

Quawas started her position as Dean of the Faculty of Foreign Languages at the University of Jordan in 2011, for what was meant to be a two-year deanship. However, halfway through her contract, she was dismissed by the University's president after defending students' rights to produce a video in her Feminist Theory class responding to campus sexual harassment.[9] She learned of her dismissal not from the university administration, but local media. She was allowed to continue to teach after her removal as dean.[1]

By some accounts, Quawas "became a household name in the country" following this controversy.[7] Her early dismissal resulted in domestic and international outcry, including by the Middle East Studies Association of North America and many individual scholars around the world.[1][9][10]

Select Publications[]

Bad Girls of the Arab World. Yaqub, Nadia and Rula Quawas (editors). Austin: University of Texas Press. 2017.[11]

The Voice of Being Enough: Young Jordanian Women Break Through Without Breaking Down. Quawas, Rula (editor). 2016.[12]

"'A sea captain in her own right': Navigating the feminist thought of Huda Shaarawi." Quawas, Rula. 2006. Journal of International Women's Studies 8(1): 219-235.

"Pinched lives and stolen dreams in Arab feminist short stories." Quawas, Rula. Journal of International Women's Studies 15(1): 54-66.[13]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f Sweis, Rana F. (2 August 2017). "Rula Quawas, Champion of Women's Advancement in Jordan, Dies at 57". The New York Times. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  2. ^ Sabbagh, Amal (April 2018). "Rula Quawas 1960–2017". Review of Middle East Studies. 52 (1): 168–170. doi:10.1017/rms.2018.19. ISSN 2151-3481.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b c d Sabbagh, Amal (2018). "Rula Quawas 1960–2017". Review of Middle East Studies. 52: 168–170. doi:10.1017/rms.2018.19. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b "Dr. Rula Quawas". FemTales. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  5. ^ Tabazah, Sawsan. "Rula Quawas' posthumous book urges end of women stereotypes". The Jordan Times. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  6. ^ "Fight for freedom and equality: the heart of battle". Hybris Media. 2017-06-06. Retrieved 2020-12-11.
  7. ^ Jump up to: a b Barghouthi, Hani (26 July 2017). "A Tribute to Dr. Rula Quawas". 7iber | حبر. Retrieved 2020-12-11.
  8. ^ Jump up to: a b "Remembering Dr. Rula Quawas – A Fulbright Alumna and a Lighthouse for Women's Rights". www.fulbright-jordan.org. Retrieved 2020-12-11.
  9. ^ Jump up to: a b "Harassment on campus: Jordan Dean ousted after exposé". Al Bawaba. Retrieved 2020-12-11.
  10. ^ زيدان, محمد (2012-12-03). "رولا قواس vs أمجد قورشة". 7iber | حبر (in Arabic). Retrieved 2020-12-12.
  11. ^ Bad girls of the Arab world. Yaqub, Nadia G.,, Quawas, Rula (Rula Butros Audeh), 1960-2017 (First ed.). Austin. 27 September 2017. ISBN 978-1-4773-1335-0. OCLC 974992296.CS1 maint: others (link)
  12. ^ Deeb, Zaina. "Launching of "The Voice of Being Enough" | FemTales". Retrieved 2020-12-11.
  13. ^ "Rula Quawas". scholar.google.com. Retrieved 2020-12-11.
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