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'Empower women to ensure peace'

Staff Reporter

The level of education among women in the country has been high: Iraqi leader

BANGALORE: Iraq's Rajaa Khuzai, a member of the interim National Council of that country, stole the show at the international women's conference, "Shakti: strength of a woman" as the Art of Living and the International Association for Human Values celebrated the power of women and sought to create a network of effective women leaders in all fields.

Dr. Khuzai, who spoke of Iraq's pre-eminence as the cradle of civilisation and proudly reminded the world that women in that country have been emancipated and empowered for the last 50 years, said the first woman minister in the Arab world assumed office in Iraq in 1958.

The level of education among women in the country has always been high and they contribute a great deal in all sectors, she added.

Dr. Khuzai is also the Chairperson of the National Council for Women and the founder of Iraqi Widows' Organisation in Baghdad and of the Women's Health Care Centre.

The Chief Minister of Delhi, Sheila Dikshit, said women have the power to bring peace, and they need to be empowered. Women should be allowed to reclaim their space as 70 per cent of the world workforce comprises women. It is they who sustain the economy and society, and they are getting their due only now.

Ms. Dikshit said that with increasing participation of women, governance is becoming more sensitive, "because a woman feels accountable and responsible, and she agonises when the system fails and labours to set things right." The Union Minister for Social Justice and Women's Empowerment, Meira Kumar, said the fact that 7.5 lakh women are active members of panchayats is an indication of the potential of women in governance.

The founder of the Art of Living Foundation, Sri Sri Ravishankar, said the objective of the conference is to create a network of effective women leaders in areas of health, education, employment, public administration, media and social issues.

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