SANA'A - Deputy Premier Ahmed Sofan invited women to involve themselves more in economic activities, saying that Yemeni women have made progress in the political sphere and can do the same in economic areas.
Women's involvement, he said, was crucial in civil society organizations (CSOs) in order to reach the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
In a workshop promoting the role of CSOs in achieving the MDGs, Sofan said "There are 4,888 CSOs in the country, each with their own goals, but which share with the government the goal and responsibilities of reaching the MDGs in their political, economic and social aspects."
He said the workshop highlighted the role of women in achieving the Goals, and the economic need for women to increase their participation in political and economic life, describing women as an increasingly vital part of society.
The one-day workshop was organized by UNDP and the Thematic Working Group of Civil Society Organizations
In her opening statement, Ramzia Al-Eryani, chairwoman of the Thematic Working Group, said that the workshop would review the group's research and recommendations for the government's third set of five-year plans for development and poverty-reduction within the terms of the MDGs. She said that policies must focus on food, health and educational security.
Al-Eryani gave a brief history of the organization, which was established in 2002 and is supported by Oxfam. "The group includes 21 civil society organizations in 19 provinces. The goals of the group are to participate in development plans, evaluate development and poverty reduction policies, and to create a partnership between the government and CSOs in order to reach Millennium Goals," she said.
UN resident representative, Flavia Pansieri, said, "Standing alongside well-structured, transparent and accountable state institutions, a key characteristic of a free and democratic society is the presence of a variety of active, strong and independent civil society organizations."
She praised the essential role that CSOs play in a country's development, describing it as complex and comprehensive a process to be left to governments alone to pursue.
"In order to be sustainable and equitable, civil society has to play an essential complementary role - development for the people, yes, but development by the people as well," she added.
She quoted the UN secretary General Kofi Annan, saying, "Civil society occupies a unique space where ideas are born, where mindsets are changed, and where the work of sustainable development doesn't just get talked about, but actually gets done."
She concluded by saying that the workshop was, therefore, an important step in helping to achieve results by increasing CSO awareness of the Millennium Goals.
Participants discussed three topics: the MDGs and the role of the UN system in helping Yemen achieve them; Yemeni efforts to achieve MDGs, and the role of civil society organizations in promoting the MDGs through the Thematic Working Group.
The workshop concluded with recommendations for engagement with CSOs in the development process and promoting MDGs, and reiteration of the importance of women in political, social and economic life.
Last month, Yemen and the UNDP signed a document supporting the efforts of the Yemeni government to draw up the third national five-year plan on sustainable development and poverty reduction.
Under the plan, the UK Department of International Development will offer technical support to help the Yemeni government meet the Millennium Development Goals by 2015.
The eight MDGs are:
1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
2. Achieve universal primary education
3. Promote gender equality and empower women
4. Reduce child mortality
5. Improve maternal health
6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
7. Ensure environmental sustainability
8. Develop a global partnership for development
© Yemen Observer 2005
