NO DEMOCRACY WITHOUT RESPECT OF WOMENS RIGHTS AS UNIVERSAL HUMAN RIGHTS, WITHOUTEQULITY BETWEEN WOMEN AND MEN

Over 80 women’s rights defenders from Maghreb, Mashrek and Europe gathered at the International Conference: “Role of women, women NGOs and movements in transitional processes towards democracy” held in Beirut on 10th -11th June 2011 to examine women’s role during the revolutions and uprisings in the Arab world and in historical phases of transition towards democracy; to share experiences and to reaffirm the involvement and power of women in these processes.

We are living in historic times. People in the Arab world are rising up against political dictatorship and corruption; they demand reforms and are organizing towards freedom, human dignity and social justice. Women have been shouldering the responsibilities in all uprisings in Tunisia, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Libya, Yemen, Bahrain and Syria. The women’s movements are an integral part of the democratic forces for social and economic justice. However women are being systematically excluded from the decision making processes that shape the future of their countries. Confirming this ongoing deliberate marginalization and exclusion of women the Conference strongly questioned the meaning of the existing concept of democracy.

Read the full statement here to the right