For the fifth time, the Katholische Akademie in Berlin, the Society of Friends of the Leibniz-Zentrum Moderner Orient (ZMO) and the MENA Study Center of the Maecenata Foundation invited to a joint event, which took place on November 22 nd in the premises of Katholische Akademie in Berlin. For the first time, the Orient-Institut Beirut figured as a cooperation partner as well. Sonja Hegasy (ZMO) moderated the evening. After a thematic introduction by Prof Udo Steinbach, three keynote speeches on the situation and the resistance of women in Iran (Azadeh Zamirirad, German Institute for International and Security Affairs), Turkey (Hürcan Aksoy, German Institute for International and Security Affairs) and in the Maghreb (Raja Sakrani, Käte Hamburger Kolleg law as culture) as well as a subsequent discussion followed. The aim of the evening was to identify the similarities and differences and to look at women as civil society actors of change.