Recommendations made for advancement of women status in OIC countries

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Thursday 05 Nov 2015 - 11:57 Makkah mean time-23-1-1437 Jeddah (IINA) – A set of recommendations were made at the conclusion of the Intergovernmental Group of Experts meeting, held here on November 3-4, to assess the OIC Action Plan for the Advancement of Women (OAPAW). The recommendations, delivered by the Intergovernmental group of experts, include creating a network for the exchange of experiences and expertise and the signing of memoranda of understanding between OIC member states to benefit from each other’s capabilities in areas relating to women. The group also recommended the formation of committees at the OIC level that would include the organization’s specialized and affiliated institutions, as well as the formation of national committees at the level of the member states to follow up with the implementation of the OAPAW. Further, the meeting called for the inclusion of a clause, within the Action Plan, that concerns women in conflict and in the post-conflict period. It was recommended that the proposed clause should support economic recovery and integration, in addition to the creation of opportunities for affected women. Participants in the meeting urged OIC member states to take the initiative in convening conferences, workshops and seminars to discuss women’s issues and coordinate their positions at various fora. They stressed that workshops and campaigns play a constructive role in highlighting the true image of women in OIC countries and defending their issues at the national, regional and international levels. The meeting called for further attention to be paid to eradicating illiteracy among women, training and empowering women to participate in educational strategies in the OIC countries, as well as developing opportunities for girls and young women to access education at all levels, especially through student exchange programs among the member states. Furthermore, the participants called for women in the OIC countries to be considered as equal partners in the decision-making process and the implementation of OAPAW, and for their opinions to be heard and responded to. The meeting urged the creation of an environment that provides women, both the young and the elderly, with confidence and safety in their living and professional surroundings, regardless of whether they are mothers, housewives or working women. AB/IINA