ARAB WOMEN ORGANISATION CONFERENCE ENDS ON SUCCESFUL NOTE

ABU DHABI, Nov 14 (Bernama) - The Arab Women Organisation (AWO) wrapped up
its second conference here Thursday, with participants gaining vast knowledge on
the status of women and the concept of human security and its issues, as seen
through Arab and international perspectives.

The conference's head of the supreme organising committee Dr Anwar Gargash
said the conference was successful and had focused on issues like Armed
Conflicts and Women's Security which was thoroughly discussed.

"I can say that we have been enriched in our understanding of violence and
the relationship to women's security," he said at a joint press conference held
late Thursday evening after the closing of the conference by AWO president
Sheikha Fatima Mubarak.

A paper on Armed Conflicts and Women's Security had discussed the cost of
war, violent conflict and post-conflict situations to women's physical and
mental health.

Dr Gargash, who is the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Minister of State for
Foreign Affairs, said conference participants were made more aware of the
effects of foreign intervention on women, while lengthy and detailed discussions
were held on the empowerment of women and their roles in tackling the issues of
security.

AWO director-general Dr Wadoda Badran said the organisation hoped to
"deepen
and have an Arab contribution" concerning issues brought up at the conference
themed, 'Women in the Concept and Issues of Human Security: An Arab and
International Perspectives'.

She said the recommendations of the conference would be proposed as one of
the items of the agenda at the next Arab League Summit.

Professor Bahgat Korany, chair of the scientific committee of the second
AWO conference, said it was high time AWO changed the stereotypical Arab woman
and spurred her role in societies and states.

Bahgat is professor of international relations and political economy at the
American University in Cairo and professor of politics at Montreal University.

At least, 11 First Ladies from the Arab world, heads of delegation, leaders
and representatives of Arab, regional and international women organisations
attended the three-day conference which saw the presentation of seven papers.

The First Ladies included Suzanne Mubarak of Egypt and Queen Rania Al
Abdullah of Jordan.

The papers included 'Redefining Security: From National to Human Security:
How Far Have Women Been Taken Into Consideration?,' 'Women's Security:
Culture And Its Impact'; 'Economic Globalisation: How Far and In What Way Has It
Impacted Women's Security' and 'Education and Awareness: The Effective Way To
Heighten Women's Security'.

Meanwhile, in her closing speech, Sheikha Fatima said that the First Ladies
of the Arab states played a major role in steering the sessions of the
conference, Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported.

She also noted that the heads of delegation representing various Arab
countries had actively participated in the workshops on human security for
women, and the empowerment of women to achieve comprehensive development in Arab
countries.

Sheikha Fatima, the widow of Sheikh Zayed Sultan Al Nahyan, the founder of
the nation, said the conference and its important recommendations would
represent a distinctive milestone in the march of Arab woman into renaissance.

"I am confident that what we have achieved through this conference will
strengthen the cooperation among us, and constitute a fundamental and important
addition to the achievements of Arab women," she said.

During the conference, Sheikha Fatima launched the Arab Media Strategy and
the Network of Arab Women in Diaspora, moves which she had initiated.

The Arab Media Strategy seeks to put forward a more central and positive
image of Arab women in the media while the Network of Arab Women in the
Diaspora, an online newtwork, will have a database of professional Arab women
living outside the region.

It will act as a communication channel between these women and others in
their homeland.
-- BERNAMA