Admin I Friday, March 09, 2024
JEDDAH – The Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) H. E. Hissein Brahim Taha has called on the global community in celebrating the achievements, resilience, and strength of women around the world on International Women’s Day, IWD.
“This is not just a day to acknowledge the progress women made, but also a call to action for a more inclusive and equitable future” His Excellency stated.
This year’s international theme “Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress”, resonates deeply with the OIC’s commitment to fostering diversity, inclusion, and empowerment of women and girls in OIC Member States and beyond.
On this occasion, the Secretary-General stressed the importance of securing prosperous and just economies to ensure women’s and girls’ rights across all aspects of life by investing and implementing gender-responsive financing to ensure a bright future for the new generations.
In this connection, the Secretary-General recalled the importance of the Jeddah Document for Women’s Rights in Islam, adopted at the International Conference on Women in Islam, which was held on 6-8 November 2023, in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
He noted that as this international occasion is commemorated, Palestinian people are still suffering from enduring unimaginable hardships due to the relentless attacks by the Israeli occupying military force.
“The escalating violence has brought immense suffering, especially to women and children who are disproportionately affected by the ongoing conflict”, he said.
H.E. the Secretary-General condemned all forms of violence and called for an immediate cessation of hostilities.
“We urge the international community to prioritize the protection of women and girls in Gaza and all surrounding regions and ensure unimpeded access to humanitarian aid, medical care, and psychosocial support for those affected by the conflict”.
H.E. the Secretary-General also seized this international occasion, to reiterate the continuation of the constructive engagement to support the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan in line with the OIC ministerial resolutions in this regard.
According to him, in the light of the multiple crises facing the world today with the immense pressure on the global community, it is vital to achieve gender equality between men and women to build a better future for all.
“Therefore, His Excellency called on OIC Member States and OIC institutions to join in this crucial endeavor to achieve just and equality between men and women by establishing a better understanding of the importance of women’s rights, prioritizing critical elements in women’s empowerment and creating effective mechanisms of cooperation and exchanging best practices”.
The Secretary-General reconfirmed that the advancement and empowerment of women will continue to be among the key priority areas for the OIC as identified under the OIC-2025 Programme of Action, as well as, the OIC Plan of Action for the Advancement of Women (OPAAW) and all efforts and initiatives done by all Institutions within the OIC system.
