The Arab Women Center for Training and Research (CAWTAR) was established in 1993 with the initiative of Prince Talal bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud, President of the Arab Gulf Program for United Nations Development Organizations (AGFUND).

The establishment of “CAWTAR” was in response to the request of many Arab governments, national and regional and international NGOs and institutions to create a center for academic research and field studies on the situation of women, which collects, analyzes and disseminates data, indicators and statistics on the economic, social and political conditions of women.

CAWTAR’s co-sponsors were the Arab Gulf Development Program (AGFUND), the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the Tunisian Government, the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) and the European Union (UE).​

Vision

• - They are dedicated to working in a region where women and men are equal in rights and in practice, where gender gaps have been overcome and where women and men can participate equally in achieving prosperity.
• - CAWTAR is committed to the empowerment of women based on human rights and gender principles.

Mission

• - Their mission is to eradicate discrimination against Arab women and reduce gender gaps by promoting research, education, training and advocacy in all areas of life that affect the status of women, and to carry their message to policy makers, researchers, activists and local communities alike

Objectives

• - Empower women and promote gender equality.
• - Reduce gender gaps as a means of achieving sustainable development in the Arab Region.

Uniqueness

CAWTAR remains one of the few regional research and training institutions dedicated to the question of women and development in the Arab region. Among the center's unique characteristics are:

• - A Unique Board of Trustees which serves as a dialogue platform between IGO’s, NGO’s and policy makers.
• - Extended regional coverage through activities implemented across the 22 Arab states.
• - Influential network - the Arab Network for gender and development (@NGED) – which covers the Arab region and beyond and counts among its members experts, decision makers, journalists, national and regional research centers, NGOs, institutions, etc. @NGED contributes to CAWTAR’s work, and acts as a platform for advocacy on gender issues and policy dialogue.
• - The ability to leverage resources through strategic partnerships resulting from joint programming, funding and implementation.​