(Baku) – The Secretary General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Iyad Ameen Madani, has underlined the need to acknowledge significant contributions of Muslim women in various fields of professional and social activities, which were frequently less-acknowledged and, at times, even neglected.
“Despite the fact that throughout history Muslim women have been making significant contributions in various fields of professional and social activities such as business, civil service, policy making, social and family welfare, their role is frequently less-acknowledged and, at times, even neglected. There is a need to take steps for addressing this situation,” he said in his statement at the Fifth Ministerial Conference on Women’s Role in Development of OIC Member States held recently in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Titled “The Role of Women in Sustainable Development”, the conference was held under the patronage of First Lady of Azerbaijan, Mrs. Mehriban Aliyeva.
“Due acknowledgement of women’s role in the society and their empowerment is key to progress and development. On the other hand, when women are constrained by socio-cultural factors and their role is not duly acknowledged, it reflects negatively in every field of human endeavor,” said the Secretary General in his statement, which was read on his behalf by Assistant Secretary-General for Science and Technology, Ambassador Naeem Khan.
The Conference comes at a time when the OIC is in the process of formulating a successor programme to its Ten Year Programme of Action (TYPOA), which ends next year. Mr. Madani urged the Conference to contribute significantly towards the articulation of a well-defined and realistic strategy for the advancement of women and greater recognition of their role in the development and progress of the society. “Let us dedicate our efforts to defining a futuristic vision, mission and plan of action for ensuring that women in Muslim countries are fully enabled to play a proactive role in addressing multidimensional challenges of our ever changing world,” he said.
(Courtesy WAM)