Conference on women in Islam begins in Jeddah

ISLAMABAD: The three-day (November 6-8) international conference on ‘Women in Islam: Status and Empowerment’ – jointly organised by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – commenced in Jeddah to hold broad-based discussions on the role of women in an Islamic society.

Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Human Rights and Women Empowerment Mushaal Hussein Mullick is heading the Pakistan delegation. She is being accompanied by National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW) Chairperson Nilofar Bakhtiar and Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the OIC Ambassador Fawad Sher at the conference, a press release received here on Tuesday said.

Former foreign minister and minister of state Hina Rabbani Khar is also participating as a panellist.

The conference would focus on the rights and responsibilities of women in Islam. In addition to Islamic scholars and official delegations from the OIC member states, a large number of female heads of state, ministers, and representatives from various international and regional organisations are participating in the moot. Researchers, think tanks, and research centres from around the world are also attending.

It would deliberate on five thematic areas, including the status of women in Islam and her rights, Muslim women and the dilemma of Islamic teachings and social traditions, Muslim women in the Gulf, Arabic and Islamic context, Muslim women in contemporary societies and, the prospects for Muslim women’s empowerment in education and work.

In addition to the statements by the official delegations of the OIC member states, the conference will hold a special working session on each thematic area.

The conference on women is being held in pursuance of Resolution No.66/49-Pol adopted by the 49^th OIC Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) in Mauritania earlier this year which called for holding an international conference on women in Islam.

The conference would produce a comprehensive document titled ‘The Jeddah Document on Women in Islam’ at its culmination on Wednesday.