President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi stressed on Thursday that Egypt, in cooperation with Islamic countries, was keen on achieving a major leap forward in handling women’s issues.
“Egypt will spare no effort to support the Women’s Development Organization, which is an entity under the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC),” he said eighth Ministerial Conference of the OIC on Women, taking place in the New Administrative Capital (NAC).
Sisi announced that during the next two years, Egypt will focus on two main issues: empowering women economically and combating the negative impact of terrorism and extremism on women.
A historic opportunity is available to present the real image of women’s status in Islam, he added, underscoring the need to empower women in different fields to achieve genuine development.
Held under the theme “Preserving the gains of gender equality and empowering women in light of the coronavirus pandemic and beyond”, this year’s edition of the OIC conference was attended by Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouly, several ministerial and officials, in addition to representatives of regional and international NGOs.
OIC Secretary-General Dr. Yousef bin Ahmad Al-Othaimeen said Saudi Arabia is giving unprecedented attention and time to women issues, unlocking their full potential as a driving force for development across all areas of the Saudi Vision 2030 that was launched by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, with the blessing of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz.
He praised Egypt’s “high level of commitment and dedication to help the OIC achieve its main objectives of promoting joint Islamic action for women’s empowerment and participation in all spheres of society.”
He also stated that the OIC seeks “to send out a message to the wider Muslim community and world at large that Islam, in its pristine and pure form, dignifies the status of women and treats them as an essential partner in all fields.”