OIC delegate to UN underlines vital role granted to women by Islam
Regional, Culture, 6/13/2000

Islam, a religion advocating peace, tolerance and cooperation among all humans, has granted women an important and pivotal role within society, said the Organization of Islamic Conference's observer at the United Nations, Mokhtar Lamani.

Talking at the 23rd extraordinary session of the UN general assembly debating "women in 2000: gender equality and development in the 21st century," the OIC ambassador explained that since its early years, Islam has been preaching slavery abolition, poverty eradication, promotion of social justice and human rights in general and women rights in particular regarding marriage, inheritance, and property rights.

He added that for Islam, upgrading the role of women in development is not a new idea and the history of Islam is full of examples of women who held top positions within the government and parliament. In Islamic countries, governments, supported by nascent social institutions, are endeavoring to support social development programs that are meant to promote education, reproductive health in an bid to consolidate the role of women and enable them exercise all the rights assigned to them by Islam.

Lamani went on that the OIC member states have actively participated in the Beijing summit and in the work program, in addition to creating an inter-governmental group of the Organization to standardize the member-countries stances on women related issues on the international scene. He added that OIC 26th ministerial conference (Burkina Faso) supported recommendations of two conferences of women parliamentarians held in Islamabad and Kuala Lumpur in 1995 and 1996.

In 1995, a symposium on the role of women in development in Muslim societies asked member states to hold women activities at the national and international levels.

The OIC delegate insisted that it is undeniable that no progress of Islamic societies is possible unless women are fully integrated in political, economic and social fields.

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