OIC adopts Islamabad declaration on women’s empowerment

• Declaration backs women’s political and economic participation.
• OIC urges greater access to education and employment for women.
• OIC urges stronger action against violence targeting women.
  

ISLAMABAD: The ninth Ministerial Conference on Women of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Monday adopted the Islamabad Declaration, reaffirming member states’ commitment to advancing the socio-economic and political empowerment of women and girls while launching a new initiative to promote women’s digital inclusion across the Muslim world.

According to the Islamabad Declaration, available on the official OIC website, participating ministers and heads of delegation pledged to strengthen policies and institutional mechanisms to ensure women’s meaningful participation in political, economic, and public life across OIC member states.

The declaration encouraged member states to remove barriers to women’s education and employment, expand access to quality education, vocational training, and leadership development, and strengthen women’s economic empowerment through improved access to employment, finance, entrepreneurship support, and social protection systems.

It also called for promoting inclusive financial systems, including Islamic finance, microfinance, and digital financial services, while urging greater support for women-led small and medium-sized enterprises through improved access to capital, innovation, and trade opportunities.

The declaration emphasised the importance of women’s participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), artificial intelligence, and emerging technologies. 

It urged member states to bridge the digital gender divide by expanding affordable digital infrastructure, connectivity, access to devices, and digital literacy programmes, particularly in rural areas.

The conference also launched the Islamabad Initiative on Women’s Digital Inclusion, a voluntary OIC platform aimed at promoting digital literacy, digital entrepreneurship, STEM education, artificial intelligence skills, cybersecurity awareness, and equitable access to digital technologies for women and girls across OIC member states. 

It invited interested member states, OIC institutions, and development partners to support the initiative through training programmes, scholarships, mentorship, and the exchange of expertise and best practices.

The declaration further urged member states to strengthen measures against all forms of violence against women and girls, including cyber harassment, online abuse, exploitation, and technology-facilitated threats, while calling for enhanced cooperation to combat Islamophobia, xenophobia, discrimination, and hate speech targeting Muslim women and girls.

It reaffirmed solidarity with the women and girls of Palestine and Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), calling on the international community to provide legal, humanitarian, economic, educational, and psychosocial support to alleviate their suffering.

The declaration concluded by reaffirming that empowering women and girls through education, skills development, leadership, and economic participation is essential for the progress, resilience, and prosperity of OIC societies. It also expressed appreciation to the Government of Pakistan for hosting the conference and thanked Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for his patronage.

The conference also adopted an omnibus resolution.

OIC Assistant Secretary-General Ambassador Dr Tarig Ali Bakheet, while delivering concluding remarks, said the deliberations reflected the collective determination of OIC member states to advance the status of women as a key pillar of sustainable development and the prosperity of the Muslim Ummah.

He welcomed the adoption of the omnibus resolution, describing it as an important milestone that reflected the shared vision of member states and provided a comprehensive roadmap for strengthening cooperation, promoting women’s empowerment, and addressing the evolving challenges facing women across the Islamic world.

“I commend the spirit of consensus and cooperation that has guided the adoption of this important resolution,” he said.

Bakheet said the real measure of success would not lie in the resolutions adopted but in the collective commitment to implement them effectively and achieve measurable outcomes.

He urged member states, OIC institutions, international partners, and other relevant stakeholders to work closely to ensure the effective implementation of the conference’s resolutions and recommendations.

He said sustained cooperation, coordinated action, and the sharing of successful experiences among member states would help transform shared commitments into meaningful improvements in the lives of women and girls.

Congratulating Pakistan on assuming the chairmanship of the Ministerial Conference on Women, Dr Bakheet expressed confidence that the country would successfully guide the implementation of the conference’s decisions.

He reaffirmed the OIC General Secretariat’s commitment to working closely with Pakistan, the OIC Women Development Organisation, relevant OIC institutions, and member states to maintain the momentum generated by the conference and translate it into concrete achievements.

Dr Bakheet prayed for greater unity among OIC member states and called for continued joint efforts to promote the dignity, empowerment, and well-being of women across the Muslim world.