Samarkand, November 22, 2023 – Executive Director of the Women Development Organization (WDO), H.E. Dr. Afnan Alshuaiby, delivered a keynote speech during the opening ceremony of the organization’s international women’s forum that’s being held in collaboration with the Committee of Family and Women in Uzbekistan.
The international forum titled “The Experience of Uzbekistan and Member States of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Supporting Women” takes place in the city of Samarkand, Republic of Uzbekistan, on November 22-23.
“The Women Development Organization, as the center of the gender equality architecture of the OIC, will support Uzbekistan and all OIC Member States to further advance gender equality and women’s empowerment, protect, and fulfill the human rights of women and girls. WDO will also support Member States and partners in updating and promoting policies that bring about tangible and sustainable development for women and girls, allowing them to reach their full potential,” stated Dr. Alshuaiby.
The Executive Director was joined in the opening ceremony by Uzbekistan’s Chairman of the Family and Women Committee, H.E. Parpiboeva Ozoda Abdukadirovna, Chairman of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis of Uzbekistan, H.E. Narbaeva Tanzila Kamalovna, Deputy Secretary General of the OIC, H.E. Dr. Tarig Ali Bakhit, Advisor to the President of Uzbekistan, H.E. Kamilov Muzaffar Muratovich, and Deputy Prime Minister of Uzbekistan, H.E. Makhkamova Zulaiho Bakhriddinovna.
The international forum saw participation from representatives of the government of the Republic of Uzbekistan in addition to leaders from WDO and OIC member states. It had several sessions that highlighted how different OIC countries support women to share experiences and best practices and augment cooperation opportunities.
The sessions tackled a variety of topics including protecting the rights and legal interests of women, expanding their educational opportunities, ensuring their employment, supporting their entrepreneurship, and solving their social problems. They also discussed the preservation of family values and the strengthening of the family institution in the process of globalization.
It should be noted that this fruitful collaboration comes following a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that was signed in May of 2023 between WDO and Uzbekistan’s Committee of Family and Women to strengthen their cooperation efforts in their shared goal of supporting and empowering women and girls. Moreover, WDO’s Executive Director gave a keynote speech during the “Uzbekistan’s Experience in Supporting Women Forum” in July 2023, in Tashkent, Republic of Uzbekistan.
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