On the occasion of the International Women’s Day, which is celebrated on March 8 of every year, Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), His Excellency Mr. Hissein Brahim Taha, stressed the great importance the OIC attaches to strengthening the role of women in the development of societies, highlighting their contributions in various fields, and empowering them to face difficulties and challenges and exercise their rights. This is based on the OIC’s conviction about women’s important role in the comprehensive and sustainable development process and on the recognition of their achievements at various levels in all fields, especially in the areas of digitization, technology and innovation.
On this important global occasion, held this year under the theme “DigitALL: Innovation and Technology for Gender Equality”, the Secretary-General congratulated women in the Islamic world and across the world for their achievements in all fields. He particularly mentioned their achievements in the digital world, technology and innovation, despite all the difficulties entailed, resulting from traditional social norms that made these fields the exclusive preserve of men.
In the light of uneven participation of men and women in many developmental fields, particularly science, technology, mathematics and innovation, the Secretary-General called on Member states to exert more efforts and overcome all obstacles in order to achieve full participation of women in all fields, thereby achieving access to a safer, more inclusive and equitable digital world. This, the Secretary-General added, will help to face many global crises and create a better future, not only for women and girls, but for all humanity.
In this context, the Secretary-General affirmed that the OIC continues its efforts in taking effective measures on women empowerment, advancing their status and prohibiting discrimination against them in all fields in Member States. He cited the Charter, the OIC-2025 Program of Action, the OIC Plan of Action for the Advancement of Women (OPAAW), and the operation of the OIC Women Development Organization, the first specialized body concerned with women’s affairs, as tools the OIC deploys in these efforts. This is in addition to all relevant resolutions adopted by the Islamic Summit, the Council of Foreign Ministers and the OIC Ministerial Conference on Women.—PR
