Worldwide, women have an essential role in human development at all levels, including economic, social and individual rights. However, in many countries, women are still de facto second-class citizens. It is only through their full participation in all areas of life, in accordance with fundamental principles of equality and non-discrimination, that democracy in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) will be fully developed and consolidated.
The conference, to be held in Milan at the EXPO Media Centre on 14 October 2015 on the initiative of No Peace Without Justice (NPWJ) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), aims to focus on a specific and central aspect of the status of women in the Southern Mediterranean: to empower them to do business and contribute to the economic growth of their countries.
The governments of the six selected countries (Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Palestine, Jordan and Lebanon), which will be represented by the Ministers of Industry and Women’s Affairs, will engage in dialogue with the respective national associations of women entrepreneurs in order to formulate recommendations and share good practices to support and enhance the development of women’s entrepreneurship in the region.
The Conference is part of the UNIDO project “Promoting Women Empowerment for Inclusive and Sustainable Industrial Development (ISID) in the MENA region”, funded by the Italian Government. Participants will include Emma Bonino, former Italian Minister for Foreign Affairs and founder of No Peace Without Justice, Carlo Calenda, Deputy Ministerof Economic Development, MartaDassù, Executive President of Women for Expo, and representatives of various international agencies.
- The program of the conference and useful information for the access to the Milan EXPO are available at: http://womenexpodays.talkb2b.net/
- For further information, please contact, for NPWJ, Carla Taibi (by phone: +39 06 68979262 or by email: ctaibi@npwj.org
