Jordan Times
Monday, June 13, 2005
Queen participates in Arab Women's Organisation Higher Council meeting
AMMAN (JT) — Her Majesty Queen Rania on Sunday
reiterated support for regional collaboration geared towards enhancing the
status of Arab women and empowering them to engage more effectively in the
development of Arab societies.
Speaking at the second meeting of the Higher Council of the Arab Women's
Organisation (AWO), held in Bahrain, Queen Rania, president of the AWO Higher
Council (2003-2005), commended regional efforts exerted thus far.
Joining Her Highness Sheikha Sabika Bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa of Bahrain, Suzanne
Mubarak of Egypt, Asma Assad of Syria, Fatima Al Bashir of Sudan and Andr?
Lahoud of Lebanon, the Queen underlined support to achieve further progress
during the second term of the AWO Higher Council under the presidency of Her
Highness Sheikha Sabika.
Chaired by the first lady of Bahrain, the meeting included an overview of the
AWO and its executive council's action plan, which include many aspects on
networking and future programmes, namely deciding to allocate prizes, including
for the best journalistic piece on women, women and technology, and social
sciences.
During the meeting, participants adopted AWO's by-laws and were briefed by AWO
Director General Waddouda Badran on progress in the past two years, and the
executive council's follow-up plan, which includes conducting studies,
developing a database on Arab women issues and implementing a series of lectures
in Western universities, on Arab women's issues, achievements and challenges.
The first of such lectures, titled “Arab Women: Past, Present and Future,” is
scheduled to be delivered at Cambridge University in the UK, in September of
this year, on the sidelines of a seminar to be attended by the 14 AWO members
regarding their countries' achievements.
Other prospective activities include holding youth dialogue sessions with the
aim of better informing Arab and Western youth on the issues and status of Arab
women, allowing for greater cross-cultural dialogue and interaction. The first
session will be held in July to set the grounds for the upcoming Arab-Western
Youth Dialogue Forum in the summer of 2006.
The AWO management also proposed organising seminars for media representatives
to better acquaint them with relevant issues and ways to bring such issues to
the forefront of discussion. In addition, the management also briefed attendees
on the Arab ICT Women's Forum, which will be held in Amman on June 19, 2005.
The first meeting of the AWO Higher Council was held under the patronage of
Queen Rania, the then-president of the Higher Council, on the sidelines of the
“Women and Armed Conflict Resolutions” Forum, in Beirut in March 2004.
Participants discussed legislation pertaining to women in conflict situations,
as well as psychological, social, economic and political conditions during
conflicts.
The AWO, the outcome of fruitful efforts of the Arab Women's Summit, builds on
ensuring greater Arab women's cooperation and integration as well as furthering
inter-Arab cooperation and synchronising the Arab stance on both regional and
international arenas.
Launched in March 2003, during the first meeting of the organisation's executive
council in Amman, the AWO seeks to achieve women's empowerment through policies
furthering legislation based on equality and competence, integrating women's
issues within the priorities of comprehensive development schemes, raising
grassroots awareness on issues pertaining to women and their ability to
participate in decision-making on all levels to enhance their role within the
family and society.
The AWO, which groups the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Tunisia, Algeria,
Sudan, Syria, Oman, Palestine, Lebanon, Libya, Egypt, Mauritania, Yemen and
Jordan, also aims to address women's issues in regional and international forums
in order to raise awareness of the situation of Arab women.
Bahrain's first lady, members of the Bahraini Royal family, ministers, AWO
Executive Council Director Lulwa Awadi and other officials saw Queen Rania off
at the airport.
Queen Rania tours Bahrain Business Incubator Centre
AMMAN (JT) — Her Majesty Queen Rania on Sunday visited the Bahrain Business
Incubator Centre (BBIC) during a two-day working trip to Bahrain, and had a
firsthand look at its services and facilities.
During her visit to the centre, the Queen discussed the prospect of partnership
with Bahrain in developing a similar project in Jordan, tailored to suit the
needs of Jordanian society, which would serve as a model initiative in the Arab
region.
Queen Rania, president of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Executive
Council on Microfinance, said such a centre would assist Jordan in its efforts
to expand microfinance to the poorest families.
The BBIC was initiated and financed by the Bahrain Development Bank and is
chaired by Sheikh Ibrahim Ben Khalifa Al Khalifa, secretary general of the
ministry of finance and economy.
Established with the ultimate goal of promoting industrial progress and creating
employment opportunities for the Bahraini population, the BBIC also encourages
entrepreneurship and enhances regional efforts in the field of microfinance.
The centre works to create new businesses, improve the efficiency of small and
medium enterprises (SMEs) and their performance and promotes the development of
closer links between SMEs and large manufacturing firms.