On January 31, 2021, The Arab Women Organization launched the regional study in cooperation with UNWOMEN The study was launched in a symposium titled: “The major global crises and their repercussions on women and girls in the Arab countries”, which will be held within the framework of the cultural activities of the 53rd Cairo International Book Fair.
The study provides a general and comprehensive vision of the reality of global crises and their impact on Arab countries, including financial and economic crises, natural disasters, armed conflicts and the consequent displacement and asylum.
It recommended that the part on natural disasters bear the title of climate change, because the latter includes various elements and plays an important role in influencing the ability of developing countries to achieve development.
Attendees stressed the need to work on finding accurate databases, developing budgets that truly take into account gender, and setting executive frameworks that can be measured and evaluated. They also stressed the need to systematically and institutionally integrate gender into all decision-making processes, including those related to disaster response, along with promoting the participation of women in these processes. Moreover, they stressed the need to adopt a proactive approach in dealing with disasters by empowering vulnerable groups, including women, before disasters strike, as well as the importance of distinguishing between the availability of services and women’s ability to access these services, and also called for paying special attention to the issue of gender-based violence.
Finally, they stressed on the need for strategies to take into account all groups of women, including those with disabilities and the elderly, stressed the need to carry out awareness and empowerment tasks, stressed on the importance of scientific research in monitoring reality, identifying problems and envisioning solutions, and developing awareness and education on equality between boys and girls.