Mrs. Mubarak attends celebrations marking Arab Women's Day in UAE

Chairperson of the Arab Women Summit Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak, was decorated late Friday by the women union in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) marking the Arab Women's Day.

The union is being chaired by Sheikha Fatma Bent Mubarak, wife of President Sheikh Zayed Ben Sultan al-Nahyyan.

The celebrations were attended by Mrs. Mubarak and Soha Arafat, wife of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat.

Among participants in the celebrations were Fatma al-Bashir, wife of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir and Lala Hossnaa the sister of Moroccan King Mohammad VI as well as delegations from 21 Arab countries.

Sheikha Fatma gave a speech in which she welcomed those participating in the event.

She added that celebrations come in a time of major summit and the extraordinary summit in Cairo.

She lauded Palestinian women who suffer from Israeli aggressions and hostilities.

Mrs. Mubarak attended fireworks and carnival shows that represented UAE and Arab folklore.

Following the shows, Mrs. Mubarak was honoured as part of the decoration of leading women activists in the Arab World.

Early Friday, Mrs. Mubarak had visited the 15-day fifth fair for family products which groups products of 222 families as well as those of Arab embassies in the UAE.

This is the second celebration marking the Arab Women's Day which is being held on annual basis.

The first celebration was held in Syria organised by the Syrian Parliament in cooperation with the Arab Parliamentary Union (APU).

Meanwhile, Mrs. Mubarak said she is proud of her visit to UAE and meeting with Sheikha Fatma who is one of the prominent figures of Arab women action due to her keenness on unifying efforts and deepening Arab relations.

Mrs. Mubarak also voiced appreciation of efforts exerted to render a success to the two-day forum in Abu Dhabi.

Moreover, Mrs. Mubarak will address the opening session of a forum on women and media, due to open on Saturday in Abu Dhabi.

Some 21 Arab delegations as well as Arab scholars, media people and regional and international organisations are attending the gathering.

Mrs. Mubarak will address the forum on the importance of media in boosting economic, social and cultural status of women.

Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak, chairperson of Arab women's summit, said on Thursday that marking Arab Women's Day has a national significance. "It proves interaction between the governmental and non-governmental women's organizations," she said.

In statements after arrival in Abu Dhabi to attend the opening of a forum on women and media, Mrs. Mubarak said the Arab Women's Day celebration reflects the progress women have achieved in supporting national development.

"Raising the issue of women and media is well-timed, especially in light of international developments that have radically changed the world," she said.

She expressed confidence that the forum on women and media, to open on Saturday and run for two days, would be a significant addition to the celebration of the Arab Women's Day observed annually on February 1.

On the Egyptian vision to be given on this occasion, Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak said it would comprise four axes, the first of which would be the international variables and their reflections positively or negatively on the image of Arab women in the international media.

Secondly, she added, the national changes and their link with the changes of women's images in the Arab media.

Thirdly, she noted, is shedding light on the traditional aspects of women's image in the Arab media. Fourthly, contributing to drawing up a media charter for Arab women.

The forum will discuss 17 papers from Egypt, Lebanon, Kuwait, Syria, Morocco, Sudan, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Yemen, Bahrain and Tunisia on the image of Arab women in the media, the globalisation of media and other issues.