Women in many Muslim countries continue to be marginalised and discriminated against, Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi told a conference of the Non-Aligned Movement Monday. Abdullah, who is current chairman of both NAM and the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC), said some people used religion to oppose the empowerment of women for their own narrow purposes. "Despite the fact that women in many parts of the world have become more emancipated, women in many Muslim countries continue to be marginalised and discriminated against," he said.
"I find it most lamentable, that although women are certainly no minority in terms of numbers, they cannot be said to have gained the status that they are entitled to, in terms of rights, equality and justice," he added. Abdullah was speaking at the opening of a NAM ministerial meeting on "Empowering Women in Facing the Challenges of Globalisation".
While globalisation had brought benefits, it had led to the further impoverishment of millions of already poor people, in particular women, he said.
Greater internationalisation had provided women with employment opportunities but the majority of them suffered from increased poverty because they lacked education and skills.
"The world economy continually presents many challenges to the empowerment of women and the achievement of gender justice and equity," Abdullah said.
"The expansion of global markets primarily focus on economic, and not social gains. Furthermore, the fruits of globalisation are often tilted in favour of the powerful and wealthy and not enough to the poor and impoverished," he said
Abdullah said NAM was dismayed by the state of millions of women and children around the globe who live in unacceptable conditions due to poverty and war.
"In war-torn and armed conflict countries, many women and children have been raped, tortured and maimed," he said.
The main challenge now for NAM was to nurture an environment that promotes both economic justice and gender justice to restore women's security and dignity.
Some 55 ministers from NAM countries are expected to issue a declaration on the way forward for women at the end of the conference Tuesday.
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