UAE takes part in the Muslim Female Parliamentarians Conference

Palembang, Indonesia - UAE's Federal National Council (FNC) participated on Friday in the Muslim Female Parliamentarians Conference held in Palembang as part of the meetings of the Parliamentary Union of the member states in the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). FNC Member Dr Sheikha Ali Al Owais represented UAE in the conference which was also attended by female members of parliament in Muslim majority countries. The agenda of the one-day conference contained discussion of ways for enhancing the role of women in the process of development in order to strengthen democracy in the member states . Another item on the agenda pertained to the role of Islamic organisations and civil society institutions in upholding the rights guaranteed by Islam for women. The discussion of ways for harnessing women's abilities to solve problems and conflicts in several parts of the world, and the role of parliamentarians in alleviating the sufferings of women and children in Palestine were also among the items on the agenda. The speakers alluded to the importance of these items which were discussed in the inaugural round of the conference held last year in Syria with the participation of 17 countries. Through an intervention, the UAE proposed that instead of discussing six various areas pertaining to the role of Muslim women parliamentarians, the conference should focus on one major item in this conference. The FNC Member said that the role of Islamic organisations and civil society institutions in highlighting the rights of women as established by Islam is an important area to begin with. Portraying an example, the FNC Member also shed light on the major achievements of the UAE in supporting women's role in various fields including political and parliamentary roles. The Parliamentary Union of the OIC Member States (PUIC) is composed of parliaments of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) Members states. FNC Speaker Mohammed Ahmed Al Murr and the delegation accompanying him had arrived in Palembang earlier on Thursday to participate in the parliamentary union of the OIC member states. The inter-parliamentary union congress will last until the end of February. In a statement made shortly after the arrival, Al Murr called for more cooperation and coordination among parliaments in Muslim countries to protect people from the adverse affects of regional and global changes. Around 500 participants from 51 Muslim majority countries participate in the meeting. - Emirates News Agency, WAM