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Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 16 - 22 November 2000 Issue No.508 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 16 - 22 November 2000 Issue No.508
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Focus Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Redefining Arab women's priorities
By Dahlia HammoudaCairo will be playing host to the first summit of Arab first ladies and female delegates of Arab leaders from 18 to 20 November. Entitled "Present challenges and new horizons," it will focus on the condition of Arab women and their crucial role in coping with the issues plaguing the Arab world. The theme of the summit was broadened at a late stage in response to the Al-Aqsa Intifada. Now, in addition to its previously stated general agenda, the conference will be focusing on what concrete steps can be taken to help Palestinian women presently living under the worsening conditions in the occupied territories.
Gathering at the invitation of Mrs Suzanne Mubarak, spouses of Arab heads of state, along with leading Arab feminist figures, will convene at the Cairo International Conference Centre.
Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak
The conference -- jointly organised by the Arab League's general secretariat, the Lebanese Al-Hariri Institution, and Egypt's National Women's Council (NWC) -- will be held under the chairmanship of Mrs Mubarak and the auspices of the secretary-general of the Arab League, Esmat Abdel-Meguid. Amongst the 400 participants expected to be in attendance are Arab ministers, female members of Arab parliaments, heads of Arab charities, members of non-governmental organisations, researchers at Arab universities and other educational institutions, media figures and experts on women's issues.
The gathering plans to discuss the important role of all forms of media in confronting the challenges presented by globalisation and the communications revolution, in addition to their influence on the Arab world's cultural identity, values and stability. The media's responsibility in highlighting the potential, but as yet sadly untapped, role of Arab women as partners in that development process is also high on the conference agenda.
Top of the summit's priorities is to discuss how negative and stereotypical portrayals of women in the media can be challenged by constructive dialogue between representatives of Arab women and those who are decision-makers in the upper echelons of the Arab media industry. Also high on the agenda is the need to enhance Arab women's participation in the political process, with a focus on increasing their influence on Arab parliaments, party leadership positions and civil institutions. Finally, the participants hope to decide to hold the summit on a regular basis, to provide it with an administrative and productive mechanism, and to have a specific theme for each session.
A fund-raising bazaar and gala to benefit Palestinian women organised by the NWC is expected to be held on the sidelines of the summit. It will exhibit products that have been made by Arab women.
Moreover, the NWC has set up a telephone hot line to which donations can be sent in support of the Palestinian women's struggle against Israeli violence. By dialing 09000300 from any telephone, the caller will automatically donate a sum of LE2.99 -- the cost of the call -- and will hear a recorded message explaining the purpose of the donation.
The Arab League announced that amongst the women scheduled to travel to Egypt for the summit will be Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's wife, Soha, Queen Rania of Jordan, Lebanese president Emile Lahoud's wife, Andree, Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's wife, Safiya, and Sudanese president Omar Al-Bashir's wife, Fatima.
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