Arab woman often portrayed through stereotypes, UNESCO D.G

The Arab woman is often portrayed, whether in the East or in the West, through stereotypes, said the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Director General.

Speaking at the opening session of a symposium on "Arab Woman between East and West," Koichiro Matsuura said this meeting comes at the right time to contribute to the recognition of the woman's role in culture and the development of the Arab region, and, therefore, eradicate stereotypes.

He said Arab women are "alternatively perceived as paragons of a mythical cultural authenticity, of a drift towards extremism or of radical modernization."

The Arab woman is at the heart of the ambiguous relations between the East and the West, he continued.

The symposium aims essentially at understanding the living conditions of this woman, deconstructing her simplistic representations, and promoting her participation in the overall development.

The permanent delegate of Kuwait at UNESCO, Abdulrazzak Al-Nafisi, deplored that the Arab woman represents only 3.5% of MPs in the Arab states, that 48 million women are illiterate, and that the participation of the woman to national economies is hardly 16%, which is one of the world's lowest rates.

Initiated by UNESCO division of Cultural Policies and Intercultural Dialogue, in collaboration with the Arab Group to the organization and the Consultative Committee for the Arabia Plan, this two-day symposium gathers women experts, researchers and political incumbents.