Sheikha Fatima calls for end to suffering of women

WOMEN'S RIGHTS: Women shout and chant slogans in front of the UN building in Gaza City to mark IWD. (Getty Images)

Women continue to endure serious human rights abuses and the international community must bring an end to their suffering, Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak said on Saturday in a statement to mark International Women's Day (IWD).

Sheikha Fatima, wife of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, called for concerted efforts at regional and international levels to improve the condition of women and provide the necessary protection for them, reported state news agency Wam.

"We look with great concern and deep sadness the deteriorating condition of women as a result of abuse and violence being perpetrated against them," she said, quoted Wam.

Sheikha Fatima expressed particular concern over the plight of women in volatile regions around the world, where wars and conflicts have led to tragedies in which women suffered most, she said.

Nearly 100 years old, International Women's Day has become an occasion to highlight the ongoing battle to ensure equal rights for women across the world.

This year the International Women's Day global theme is 'Shaping Progress' in honour of the first IWD in 1908 when 15,000 women marched through New York City demanding shorter hours, better pay and voting rights.

The UN theme for this year's International Women's Day is ‘Investing in Women and Girls’, which focuses on financing for gender equality.

The day was marked across the Middle East and Asia in countries including Yemen, Palestine, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Indonesia and China, with calls for greater rights and equality.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour said on Friday that laws discriminating against women were still on the statute books of virtually every country in the world, and repeated promises by states to repeal them were not being honoured.

Arbour said this lack of equality was "having a detrimental effect on women in many countries - sometimes to a devastating degree".

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READERS' COMMENTS

A Noble Challenge
Posted by T Crowe Semler, Fayetteville AR, USA on Sunday 9 March 2008 at 19:11 UAE time

Sheikha Fatima has a great noble challenge to bring positive change for the injustice to women around the world. The majority of people in the world who are in dire poverty are Women and Children. The majority of people in the world who are abused and exploited are Women and Children. These facts are unacceptable. We have created organizations and programs around the world to address the plight of women and children in poverty however, progress is slow. We may also ask the question,"How many Women and Children of the middle and upper classes are experiencing abuse?" This situation is less transparent making it more difficult to detect. Sheikha Fatima has chosen to give voice to those without a voice. Her efforts and work toward making a better world are a blessing for all Women and Children...

Women's Liberation Day
Posted by N. A. Mirza, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Sunday 9 March 2008 at 17:39 UAE time

March 9, 2008

There should be concerted, sincere and long lasting efforts to highlight the abuses the women suffer. Sheikha Fatima's views that "we look with great concern and deep sadness the deteriorating condition of women as a result of abuse and violence being perpetrated against them," deserve appreciation but they do not practical approach to solve the deteriorating conditions of women. One of the ways is to educate people about the sufferings of women through popular means which reach out to a common man even in the age of internet and that is the postal stamps. Countries world wide and the UN should issue commemorative stamps, first day covers, sheetlets, souvenir sheet, brochures etc and publicise them through media and other channels. It would indeed be satisfying if these postal stationary reach 10 percent of the world population. A healthy campaign from grassroots levels ensures success to the largest extent.

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