Jeddah: The General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) held the ninth meeting of the Women Consultative Council (WCC) of the OIC Ministerial Conference on Women at its headquarters in Jeddah on Tuesday, September 10, 2024. Dr. Amina Al-Hajri, Director General of the OIC Department of Cultural Affairs, delivered the Secretary-General's speech at the opening session of the meeting, where she said that the meeting was held in light of the difficult circumstances the world is witnessing, including bloody wars, internal conflicts, devastating natural disasters, radical climate change, and the continued recovery from the Covid-19 and its repercussions. Additionally, she tackled the harsh conditions facing women in the Islamic world, in Palestine, Sudan, and in the Sahel and Lake Chad countries, as well as the situation of women in Afghanistan in light of their continued prevention from obtaining higher education and participating in practical life.

It is noteworthy that the agenda of the ninth meeting of the WCC included a follow-up on the implementation of the ministerial resolutions and updates submitted by the Women Development Organization (WDO), in addition to consideration of the list of candidates from Member States for the third edition of the OIC women achievement award under the theme "The Role of Women in Technology". Dr. Al-Hajri thanked the Arab Republic of Egypt for hosting the eighth session of the Ministerial Conference on Women, and for its efforts to empower women and enhance their role in Member States. She also thanked the Republic of Turkiye for its efforts and continuous support for the activities of the Women Consultative Council. She also expressed her appreciation to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the OIC host country, for its continuous support and generous patronage of the OIC.