As the chair of the 8th session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation’s (OIC) Ministerial Conference on Women, Egypt is focused on the economic empowerment of women as the essential foundation for establishing the principles of gender equality, said Nada Draz, member of the National Council for Women in Egypt (NCW).
Draz was speaking on behalf of NCW President Maya Morsy, chair of 8th session of the OIC Ministerial Conference on Women, during a virtual session held on Tuesday 14/2/2023 as part of the 8th meeting of the conference advisory committee on women to review the progress made on women empowerment issues in OIC member states.
She started by offering the deepest condolences to the Syrian the Turkish peoples over the victims of the destructive earthquake that hit southeastern Turkey along its borders with Syria last week.
Draz said the issue of women empowerment receives special attention from the political leadership in Egypt, which is manifested in Egypt’s interest in hosting the 8th OIC Ministerial Conference on Women, as well as the headquarters of the Women Development Organization (WDO), the first OIC-affiliated body specialized in promoting and protecting the rights of women.
Egypt has spared no effort to provide the WDO with necessary technical and logistical support, Draz said, citing directives by President Abdel Fattah El Sisi to pay the annual contributions allocated for WDO, set to be paid by the least developed countries, whether those who signed WDO articles of association, or others who have not but are planning to join the organization.
Draz highlighted the fiscal and economic policies Egypt has recently introduced to empower women economically and ensure that they have adequate job opportunities as casual workers.
She also touched upon Egypt’s efforts to mitigate the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on women, while protecting women against all forms of violence, and supporting women’s health.
