The role of women in awareness raising… a global vision for a better future – something for the homeland – ✍️ Mr. Salah Ghariba
The issue of women's empowerment and highlighting their central role in building societies is one of the urgent issues that concern decision-makers, thinkers and researchers alike. The thirty-fifth international conference of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, entitled “The Role of Women in Raising Awareness”, has become a beacon that contributes to strengthening this role and highlighting its importance in various fields.
The conference addressed a variety of topics covering different aspects of women's role in society, from religious and cultural awareness to their role in serving society and the family. One of the most striking things that struck me in this context was the emphasis on the importance of the Egyptian experience in women's empowerment, which is a model in the region, as Egyptian women have been able to achieve great achievements in various fields, driven by a wise leadership vision that believes in the importance of women's role in nation building.
The conference set a set of noble goals aimed at highlighting the role of women in training distinguished personalities, emphasizing their added value in society and highlighting the importance of their role in the renaissance of society. The conference also stressed the need for integration between different state authorities to support women's participation in decision-making, which requires concerted efforts from all relevant institutions, whether governmental or private.
Despite the efforts to empower women, they face many challenges in various societies, the most important of which is the disparity of opportunities, and women still have difficulties in obtaining equal opportunities in education and work, due to the prevailing customs and traditions in some societies, which limit their freedom to choose and express themselves, in addition to cultural prejudices, and women's participation in public life is affected by cultural and social prejudices, rooted in the minds since ancient times, which requires great efforts to change them, and violence against women is still a major problem in many societies. This requires concerted efforts to eliminate it. Despite the progress made, the representation of women in decision-making positions is still limited in many countries, which reduces their opportunities to influence policies and decisions that affect their lives.
However, there are many opportunities to empower women, and the most important of these opportunities is technological development. Technological development offers women new opportunities to work and express themselves, as they can now work remotely and have easier access to information and knowledge. Feminist movements help to raise awareness about women's rights, encourage them to claim them, and provide support in various areas. Governments play a vital role in supporting women's empowerment by developing appropriate policies and laws, providing training and rehabilitation programs, and encouraging their empowerment. participation in public life. Family and society also play an important role in instilling in children the values of gender equality and justice and encouraging them to respect women and appreciate their role.
The role of women is not limited to developing religious and cultural awareness, but extends to other important areas, such as entrepreneurship. Women have proven their ability to achieve great success in the field of entrepreneurship, creating many startups. have achieved great success and women contribute greatly to the field of science and technology, where many achievements have been made in various scientific fields, and the importance of the role of women in political life is increasing, as many countries seek to increase the representation of women in parliaments and governments, and women play an important role in enriching cultural and artistic life, as they have contributed to the production of many artistic and literary works that express its concerns and ambitions.
Women’s empowerment is not only a right, but a necessity to achieve sustainable development and prosperity in all societies. When women have the full opportunity to participate in building their society, they contribute to achieving great progress in various fields.
To ensure the achievement of the objectives of the conference, I propose to provide more opportunities for women to participate in decision-making at the local, national and international levels, in addition to supporting women economically by providing them with suitable employment opportunities, providing them with loans and grants, supporting their small and medium-sized enterprises and combating all forms of discrimination against women, whether sexual, religious or ethnic, while providing training and rehabilitation programs for women to enable them to develop their skills and capacities, and increase their chances of obtaining good jobs, raise awareness of the importance of the role of women in society and change the societal view of women, in addition to enacting laws that protect women's rights and ensure their equality with men in all areas, and strengthening the partnership between the government, the private sector and civil society to empower women.
In conclusion, I stress that women’s empowerment is not just a slogan, but rather an investment in the future. When women are educated, skilled and able to participate in public life, they contribute to building fairer and more prosperous societies.
