Foreign Ministry organises a seminar on the status of arab women and the means of legislation

Press release 185/2004
September 1, 2004


Women's status will be discussed at Säätytalo, Helsinki, on 7-8, September. Representatives of the government, the parliament, the NGOs as well as of the scientific community from Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, and Finland will participate in the seminar organised by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland. A delegation of Iraqi women will also attend the seminar.

Keynote speakers are Professor Fatim Zahra Tamouh from the University of Rabat, Director General of Arab Women Organisation of the Arab League Wadouda Badran and Professors Valentine Moghadan from the University of Illinois and Kevät Nousiainen from the University of Helsinki. The opening speech will be delivered by Minister of Social Affairs and Health Sinikka Mönkäre and Gunvor Kronman will act as the chairperson.

According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) women's lack of possibilities to influence social affairs is a major development challenge in the Arab countries. The objective of the seminar Family, Society and the Empowerment of Women is to promote and encourage the discussion on the position of Arab women and to share the experiences of women's status in the different countries. The vital theme of the seminar is to discuss the ways to improve gender equality and women's rights by means of legislation.

The seminar is part of A Thousand and One Steps - The Arab World and Development 2004 campaign organised by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

For further information: Development Cooperation Counsellor Anna Gebremedhin, [email protected], tel. +358 9 1605 6396 and Aino Peltonen, [email protected], tel. +358 9 1605 5602