(MENAFN- Jordan Times) AMMAN — Female leaders and activists from around the world gathered in Amman on Tuesday to discuss ways to secure a better future for women.
Dozens of leading global figures in the media, politics and economy, alongside representatives from the business sector and economy, took part in the Women on the Front Lines Conference — Fourth Edition MENA Chapter.
The event, held in Amman under the patronage of Prime Minster Omar Razzaz, was organised by the May Chidiac Foundation (MCF).
President of the conference and founder of MCF May Chidiac said that in recent years, 'we have been looking forward to a time when women take their rights and are able to demonstrate the importance of their role'.
'Today, I am happy to say that the fight we have begun together for a better tomorrow for Arab women is finally showing results,' Chidiac told the gathering.
Chidiac continued by stating the different ways in which 'Arab women have come a long way in their quest for liberation", highlighting achievements resulting from their "long-lasting struggle".
'The education of women and reduction of illiteracy is taken for granted in various Arab countries and is considered one of the most important social rights and indicators of equality between men and women towards sustainable community development,' Chidiac stressed.
Minister of State for Institutional Performance Development Yasera Ghosheh stressed that the government 'should always set a goal and implement it in a manner that ensures that citizens will feel the effects of the developments being made'.
First Lady of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Rula Ghani also addressed the gathering, stating that 'people need to understand the religion and use verses in the Koran that empowers women'.
'Our problem is that many people do not know many of the verses in the Holy Koran that are in favour of women. Therefore, we need to call for the proper application of these verses to explain and support women's rights and well-being in our society,' Ghani said.
Later in the day, a panel discussed the early marriage problem in the region.
'Girls are forced to wed at an early stage in their lives because their families consider them an economic burden,' Jerash MP Wafa Bani Mustafa said.
Bani Mustafa added that, although there are exceptions in the Personal Status Law that supposedly restrict early marriage, families in Jordan still wed their daughters at an early age to protect their honour, due to "old social beliefs".
The restrictions, according to Bani Mustafa, include ensuring that the age difference between the young bride and groom does not exceed 15 years, guaranteeing the bride's ability to continue her education and ensuring that the groom does not have another wife.
Bani Mustafa pointed to 2017's 'alarming' figures for early marriage, which reached 10,800 marriages out of a total of 77,000 that took place that year.
'The 2017 figures really raised the alarm and forced the government to take stiff measures to curb early marriages,' Bani Mustafa explained.
As a result of government measures, the MP maintained, the number of early marriages in 2018 dropped to around 8,000.
Lebanese actress and singer Carole Samaha also attended the conference to shed light on important social and humanitarian issues affecting MENA communities.
The conference included panel discussions and sessions with leading women who have made a difference in politics, media, art, business administration, economics, human rights and social development, according to a statement by the organisers.
One of the goals of the conference is to empower women and encourage them to realise a better future and the sustainable goals of public interest, the statement added.
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