Empowerment of Women in Arab Countries

It was organized in collaboration with the Office of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women (OSAGI) at the United Nations (UN) and held in Tunis, Tunisia from October 5-6, 2010. The primary objective of the colloquium was to provide UN member states with expert opinions and recommendations regarding policies to empower women in the political, economic, and social fields. The colloquium addressed key issues, including gender empowerment and the socio-economic development of society, the main impediments in the region, the adoption of appropriate policy responses and legal reforms, the role of the state and the ways and means to join forces with civil society to empower women. Over a period of two days, experts, UN representatives and those from nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that deal with social development from different regions of the world discussed achievements and challenges facing women in the world, particularly Arab women, and explored the empowerment of women in multiple contexts, promoting an exchange of ideas and experiences. The participants identified effective policy responses as well as best practices, taking into account the region’s political, social, economic, and cultural aspects and provided policy recommendations that should be implemented by the state and other stakeholders.