Pan-Arab paper reports on Women in Business conference in London - 5/26/2006
Text of report from London by Fadya Fahd entitled "Hyro Talabani: Unemployment in Iraq bolsters extremism" published by London-based newspaper Al-Hayat on 25 May
The "The International Conference for Women in Business" which opened yesterday in London with the participation of more than 170 businesswomen from different countries (Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the Emirates, Bahrain, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Palestine, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Sudan, Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, Tanzania, Cyprus, Greece, Italy and the United States in addition to Britain) has turned into an annual gathering for businesswomen from all corners of the world and a forum for pioneer female figures in various fields including politics, economy, society and the media.
Hyro Ibrahim Ahmad, wife of Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, made an appearance, her first, to deliver an address in which she provided a glimpse on the status of working women in the Iraqi society.
She stressed that the problem of rising unemployment in southern and central Iraq had allowed extremism to spread among Iraqi youth, and that combating extremism required quick action on the part of the state in Iraq and the Western community to create work opportunities and free youths from the tentacles of need and poverty.
"When we started to launch small experimental projects in Iraqi Kurdistan [Region] five years ago, we faced the basic problem of finding funds and a problem in society's acceptance of the idea of women running their own projects, especially since many women prefer an official job because it guarantees certain material benefits on retirement," she said.
She concluded by saying that building a new Iraq required pooling the efforts of its women and men to ensure freedom, equality and respect for human rights.
Margaret Hodge, the [UK] minister of state for industry and the regions, stressed the intimate relationship between equality and economic prosperity, considering it "a mistake, even foolishness, to continue ignoring the social, political and economic role of women".
She pointed out that Britain has taken vast strides in this field but that this does not mean that it does not have to do more, especially as statistics show that 22 per cent of British companies do not have women represented on their administrative boards.
Fayza Abu-al-Naja, the Egyptian minister for international cooperation, spoke of the challenge facing working women especially in the Arab countries "as they have to exert many times the effort in comparison with what their male colleagues have to do in order to prove their ability and to confront all types of professional and social prejudices, in addition to shouldering their traditional role in the family and the raising of children".
Dr Ma'suma Al Mubarak, the Kuwaiti planning minister, said in her address that Kuwaiti women were due to crown long years of hard work by a major achievement when they participate for the first time in the upcoming elections which will take place on 29 June. "Therefore this phase requires our unity and the organization of our ranks to bring the largest possible number of candidates to the seats of the Kuwaiti parliament," she said.
Ahmad Sulayman, the founder of the International Conference for Women in Business, said future plans included holding of a conference in Kuwait next November and a working visit by British businesswomen to Saudi Arabia in October.
Source: Al-Hayat, London, in Arabic 25 May 06
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