In a conference at Manama, 17 Arab states participated. Shaikha Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, the first lady of Bahrain and the chairperson of the Arab Women’s Organization said that if Arab countries want ’sustainable’ development then it would have to give rights to its native women and to migrants as well.
She further said that the nations should provide women with equal rights so they can live in dignity, peace and prosperity, free of hunger, poverty and disease. She said,
‘We cannot have development without all sides working in partnership and trust. Women must play a full role in society and this cannot happen if women are not given their full rights.’
The participants of the gathering were Sudan’s Widad Babaker, Syria’s Asma Al Assad, Lebanon’s Andrea Lahoud, Egypt’s Suzanne Mubarak and Mauritania’s Um Kalthoom bint Al Nat.
The conference culminated with recommendations of the participants to their respective countries to ensure that the development programs should be formulated for the women folk including strategies to help young generations.
In addition, the government should encourage the use of technology by women in the Arab world.
