01 June 2003
AMMAN (Petra) — A three-day workshop on Arab women's rights and their participation in the political life began Saturday.
Organised by the Arab Institute for Human Rights in cooperation with the Human Security Network's (HSN) regional centre and the EU, the workshop is reviewing the results of field surveys on women's participation in politics, their education rights and involvement in social and economic life.
Inaugurating the workshop, the institute's president, Ahmad Obeidat, stressed the need to create national strategies based upon scientific principles that will prepare programmes and mechanisms to deepen citizens' awareness of women and their presence as active and effective members of society.
Institute member Laila Sharaf said the timing of the workshop gives increased importance to its theme, particularly with parliamentary elections right around the corner and the women's quota system being implemented for the first time.
The quota is a fundamental step for Jordanian women's political life, manifesting a legal recognition of their rights, she added.
The director of HSN's regional office, Atef Adeibat, said bridging the gender gap in Arab society is the first obligatory step towards achieving the desired goals for social development and progress.
Meanwhile, participants at the extraordinary executive council meeting of the Arab Women's Organisation, held here last week, expressed their gratitude to Her Majesty Queen Rania, the AWOs higher council president, for her efforts, which yielded the establishment of the organisation.
During an interview by the Jordan News Agency, Petra, participants also thanked Jordan for organising the meetings.
General secretary for women and family affairs at the Sudanese ministry of social care, Khadijah Abul Qassem, stressed the need to focus the efforts of the Arab women's movement on equipping women with necessary skills to take on their role on both the family and social level.
She added that women in the rural areas must be the first priority, helping them deal with problems such as poverty and illiteracy.
Abul Qassem also called for drafting programmes that provide solutions to refugees and women suffering as a result of war, particularly Palestinian and Iraqi.
The Bahraini secretary general of the higher women council, Loulwah Awadi, said Arab women share common problems that often have similar solutions.
The secretary general of the Egyptian National Women Council, Farkhanda Hassan, expressed her joy in AWOs establishment, saying mutual coordination would speed up the emergence of a unified and well-organised women's movement.
AMMAN (Petra) — A three-day workshop on Arab women's rights and their participation in the political life began Saturday.
Organised by the Arab Institute for Human Rights in cooperation with the Human Security Network's (HSN) regional centre and the EU, the workshop is reviewing the results of field surveys on women's participation in politics, their education rights and involvement in social and economic life.
Inaugurating the workshop, the institute's president, Ahmad Obeidat, stressed the need to create national strategies based upon scientific principles that will prepare programmes and mechanisms to deepen citizens' awareness of women and their presence as active and effective members of society.
Institute member Laila Sharaf said the timing of the workshop gives increased importance to its theme, particularly with parliamentary elections right around the corner and the women's quota system being implemented for the first time.
The quota is a fundamental step for Jordanian women's political life, manifesting a legal recognition of their rights, she added.
The director of HSN's regional office, Atef Adeibat, said bridging the gender gap in Arab society is the first obligatory step towards achieving the desired goals for social development and progress.
Meanwhile, participants at the extraordinary executive council meeting of the Arab Women's Organisation, held here last week, expressed their gratitude to Her Majesty Queen Rania, the AWOs higher council president, for her efforts, which yielded the establishment of the organisation.
During an interview by the Jordan News Agency, Petra, participants also thanked Jordan for organising the meetings.
General secretary for women and family affairs at the Sudanese ministry of social care, Khadijah Abul Qassem, stressed the need to focus the efforts of the Arab women's movement on equipping women with necessary skills to take on their role on both the family and social level.
She added that women in the rural areas must be the first priority, helping them deal with problems such as poverty and illiteracy.
Abul Qassem also called for drafting programmes that provide solutions to refugees and women suffering as a result of war, particularly Palestinian and Iraqi.
The Bahraini secretary general of the higher women council, Loulwah Awadi, said Arab women share common problems that often have similar solutions.
The secretary general of the Egyptian National Women Council, Farkhanda Hassan, expressed her joy in AWOs establishment, saying mutual coordination would speed up the emergence of a unified and well-organised women's movement.
© Jordan Times 2003
