TEHRAN – The Vice-President for Women and Family Affairs, Zahra Behrouz-Azar, has put forward two initiatives to boost collaborations among member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) for empowering women.
Addressing the ninth Ministerial Conference on Women of the OIC, held in Islamabad, Pakistan, on July 12 and 13, Behrouz-Azar proposed the establishment of an ‘OIC female rescue network’ and a ‘single brand for products made by Muslim women’, Mehr news agency reported.
She also expounded on Iranian women’s experiences in scientific, social, and crisis management fields. Iranian women comprise over 56 percent of academic communities, around 46 percent of PhD graduates, and more than 68 percent of specialists in basic sciences, while representing a significant share of faculty members, inventors, and knowledge-based companies’ managers, the official noted.
Highlighting the country’s experiences in managing natural hazards and wartime crises, she said women and children suffer disproportionately during crises, but their voices are often unheard. However, women’s contributions in Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) relief services have proved that the ‘women-for-women’ approach can play a key role in supporting those affected by crises.
Accordingly, Iran’s initial proposal is to establish a ‘network of female relief workers of the Islamic World’ to connect female physicians, nurses, psychologists, social workers, and relief workers from Islamic countries, and benefit from their capabilities to provide more effective support for women and children during crises and strengthen preparedness and cooperation among member states.
The second proposal calls for ‘developing a single brand for products made by Muslim women’ to facilitate access of women’s products to markets in Islamic countries, enhance consumer confidence, expand digital markets, hold collaborative exhibitions, and develop training in exports and branding.
These two proposals are grounded in the shared values of the Islamic world—including human dignity, justice, cooperation, family, and social responsibility- which pave the way for boosting synergy among Islamic nations in supporting women.
The ninth Ministerial Conference on Women of the OIC, titled “Socio-Economic and Political Empowerment of Women in the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation Countries: Challenges and Way Forward”, brought together some 190 delegates from the 57 OIC member states.
The conference aimed to boost cooperation among member states on women’s empowerment by enhancing greater socio-economic and political participation across OIC member countries.
It is built on the outcomes of previous OIC ministerial meetings on women, particularly the one held in Cairo in 2021, which focused on women’s empowerment, protection frameworks and enhancing their socio-economic participation.
On the sidelines of the ninth conference, Behrouz-Azar, and Pakistan’s Minister of Law and Justice, Azam Nazeer Tarar, held a meeting and highlighted the need to enhance collaborations between the two countries in areas related to women.
Both parties agreed to develop the historic, religious, cultural and brotherly relations between Pakistan and Iran and to undertake joint initiatives to promote women’s rights and empowerment.
Lauding Iran’s achievements in empowering women, Nazeer Tarar voiced Pakistan’s readiness to develop cooperation with Tehran and benefit from the country’s expertise in this sector.
The official highlighted Iran’s role in advancing OIC objectives, which aim to support women in addressing shared challenges, noting that “We need to work together to counter the Western media’s biased portrayal of women in Islamic nations”.
He called for the enhancement of ties between the two countries to convey the voice of women living under oppression, from Gaza, Palestine, Afghanistan, to Kashmir, to the international community.
For her part, Behrouz-Azar commended Pakistan’s unwavering support for the country during the US-Israeli imposed war, and said that the West constantly seeks to incite hatred against Islamic countries and portray a negative image of Muslim women; hence, we need a unified and coordinated strategy to restore the status of women in the Islamic world.
She also elaborated on Iran’s accomplishments in supporting women, their capacity, and their empowerment in various fields, highlighting their participation in the political, economic, educational, health, and social sectors.
The vice president also met the Pakistani Minister of State for the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training, Wajiha Qamar.
The Pakistani official lauded the country’s achievements in empowering women and supporting them across various sectors of society, particularly in education and professional activities, saying that Pakistan is willing to benefit from Iran’s expertise in this sector.
She proposed to promote interactions through empowering women in digital education and economy and sharing knowledge and experiences.
For her part, Behrouz-Azar suggested enhancing cooperation in AI, digital, and vocational training, as well as granting scholarships and exchanging students.
MT/MG
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