2nd Arab women forum in Tunis

The second Arab women forum will be held in Tunis this May 31 through June 1st to debate "women political participation to consolidate democracy and achieve development."

The Tunis encounter will look into means to overcome the "artificial" gap between theory and practice and shed light on Arab women participation in politics, say organizers.

The opening session will be chaired by the spouse of the Tunisian president, Mrs Leila Benali, and will bring together delegates from some 20 Arab countries.

The first conference was held in Cairo in November 2000. Organizers say the most significant result was the adoption of the principle to hold conferences on regular bases to examine central topics related to the situation of women in the Arab world.

The Tunis meeting seeks to deepen debates by starting from a general approach that links women participation in politics and public life and major concerns of the Arab nation.