KUALA LUMPUR, 26 Nov 2008: Malaysia has agreed to adopt the plan of action for the advancement of women tabled at the Second Ministerial Conference on the Role of Women in the Development of Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) Member Countries in Cairo, Egypt.
Special Adviser to the Prime Minister for Women and Social Development Affairs Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil said the move was in line with the country’s commitment towards achieving gender equality.
She said the Cairo Plan of Action for Women was aimed at providing sufficient resources and support as the main component towards achieving gender equality.
“The plan is also crucial to eradicating poverty, enhancing women’s participation in decision making at all levels, giving equal opportunities to women through access to quality education and healthcare as well as eliminating discrimination against women,” she said.
In a statement today, Shahrizat said her participation in the two-day conference that began yesterday gave an opportunity for the country to prove its its commitment towards efforts to safeguard and protect women’s rights.
To achieve the plan’s objectives, she said all OIC member countries agreed to take several measures such as encouraging family-friendly policies to balance between family responsibility and career as well as giving assistance to low-income families.
“Besides, micro-credit facilities should be provided to promote living standards, to enhance women’s participation in saving schemes for future readiness, to study the impact of macroeconomic policies on the employment of women and men,” she said.
Shahrizat also said technical and vocational training was also required for women to venture into job fields, to train teachers at all levels on equality values so as not to discriminate against women as well as to support allocations for the enhancement of service for abused women.
“OIC member countries are also encouraged to reduce cases of violence and its impact on women and children through strategies and laws to avoid family violence and crime against women,” she said. — Bernama
