JEDDAH: The International Conference on “Women in Islam: Status and Empowerment” concluded on November 8.
Organized by the OIC General Secretariat and hosted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the conference focused on women’s rights and empowerment in Islam under the patronage of King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and Chair of the 14th Islamic Summit.
The deliberations resulted in twenty recommendations outlined in the Final Declaration, highlighting the advanced rights granted to women in Islam and addressing challenges and opportunities for women’s rights across various fields and levels in society.
Moreover, the conference produced “The Jeddah Document on Women’s Rights in Islam,” intended to serve as an official reference on women’s rights in Islam. The document will be submitted for adoption at the upcoming Islamic Summit in Gambia at the year’s end and subsequent presentation to relevant international forums.
During the closing session, OIC Secretary-General Hissein Brahim Taha reiterated the OIC’s commitment to prioritizing women’s empowerment issues. He pledged the organization’s support for initiatives aimed at advancing the status of women in Muslim societies.
The Secretary-General highlighted the significance of the “Jeddah Document on Women’s Rights in Islam” as a comprehensive reference for legislative institutions and human rights organizations in Member States and Muslim societies.
Addressing doubts about Islam’s fairness toward women, he urged consideration of women’s rights as outlined in the document, emphasizing that isolated social practices in some Muslim societies do not reflect the universal vision and teachings of Islam.
The Secretary-General also announced the OIC’s efforts to support Palestinian women and revealed that the Extraordinary Islamic Summit, scheduled in Riyadh next Saturday, would address Israel’s aggression against the Gaza Strip and its violations of international norms and humanitarian principles, particularly the targeting of innocent children and women.
