Women's international forum meets in Casablanca
Women's International Forum on "Women and Development" opened here Wednesday under royal patronage and honorary presidency of Princess Lalla Meryem.
In her opening address, Cooperation minister Aicha Belarbi underscored the importance King Mohammed VI grants to women issues and their integration in the development process recalling his call, early this week, for genuine integration of rural women as a key factor in socioeconomic development.
Belarbi said that Moroccan women have come a long way since independence with schooling now standing at 90 % for city girls and 45 % in the countryside.
UN Human Rights High Commissioner Marie Robinson stressed, in a message to the forum, the relevance of topics on the agenda insisting on priority for the promotion of women's rights at the economic, social and political levels. Robinson added International legislation should be enforced and put to practice through implementation and involvement of women without any discrimination.
Other speakers took the floor to welcome participants, thank the organizing side, mainly the Bouregreg Association, and list major issues to be debated during the six day event attended by delegates from 17 countries.
