As the world marks on March 8th the International Women's Day, the Secretary General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), Professor Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, delivered a message as follows: “I take great honour and pleasure in congratulating all women in the World on this auspicious occasion of the observance of the International Women's Day. I pay my highest tribute to all of them for the amazing achievements that they accomplished for their respective nations as well as for the humankind. Women stand at the heart of the family institution. They play a key role in shaping society. As mothers, they have the crucial role of bringing up children by imbibing in them the moral and ethical values allowing them to recognize right and discard wrong, grooming them thus to become worthy citizens. Modern-day women have evolved beyond their traditional role of homemakers and get increasingly involved in various activities. International laws and conventions, together with national laws and legislations adopted by different states, uphold the cause of women in society. It is, however, unfortunate that traditional gender-based prejudices and misperceptions continue to maintain women in many societies of the world as vulnerable as ever. One of the most serious issues that the women face in the developed and developing countries alike is violence in different forms. Hence, I feel that the theme for this year 'Women and men united to end violence against women and girls' is a fitting recognition of this critical issue. The point is that this theme should not remain a mere slogan but should turn into a commitment translatable into tangible action everywhere by the international community. Since its advent, Islam has championed the cause of women. Islamic teachings strongly speak out against violence in particular towards women. The OIC's commitment to uphold the status of women and their development is one of the major targets inscribed in its Ten-Year Programme of Action (TYPOA). Significant progress in the implementation of the TYPOA was achieved by adopting last year the OIC Plan of Action for the Advancement of Women (OPAAW). The OPAAW has made large strides in sorting out the issues and challenges facing women, including violence. I invite all the OIC member states to commit themselves to the proper and effective implementation of OPAAW. I sincerely believe that it will serve as an effective mechanism in addressing the issue of violence against women among other issues concerning them. On this day, I call on everybody to work towards ensuring human rights and fundamental freedoms for women, which are essential for achieving their development, equality and mainstreaming in the society.”
