News

22 March 2022

The Board of Trustees renews confidence in CAWTAR’s Executive Director and calls for providing technical support for the creation of the African Women’s Center

The Board of Trustees of the Center of Arab Women for Training and Research (CAWTAR) concluded its 22nd meeting, held via ZOOM on March 22, 2022. The meeting was chaired by Mr. Nasser Al-Kahtani, Executive Director of AGFUND, on behalf of HRH Prince Abdulaziz bin Talal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, President of AGFUND and Chairman of CAWTAR Board of Trustees.

In his opening statement, read out on his behalf by the Executive Director of AGFUND, Prince Abdulaziz bin Talal pointed out that CAWTAR has made significant achievements that have earned it a prominent place among international organizations and institutions working on women’s issues. He pledged to follow the same path pursued by the late Prince Talal Bin Abdulaziz in supporting CAWTAR and working for advancing women in the Arab World and enhancing their effective contribution to sustainable development.

Dr. Amel Belhaj Moussa, Tunisian Minister of Women, Family and the Elderly, stressed that women’s empowerment is key to the advancement of Arab societies, and that promoting knowledge about women’s issues is a prerequisite for women’s empowerment.

Ambassador Haifa Abu-Ghazaleh, Assistant Secretary-General, Head of the Social Affairs Sector at the League of Arab States, pointed out that CAWTAR has made significant strides in its areas of focus and in the modern-day issues it has chosen to work on, enabling it to acquire a distinguished status among international centers and institutions sharing similar interests.

Mr. Nasser Al-Kahtani, Executive Director of AGFUND, indicated that the Board of Trustees renews its confidence in Dr. Soukeina Bouraoui to pursue her mandate as Executive Director of CAWTAR.

Dr. Soukeina Bouraoui reviewed CAWTAR’s key achievements in 2021, especially in terms of promoting women’s economic, financial, social and political empowerment and enhancing their role in achieving Sustainable Development Goals.

Dr. Khalida Bouzar, UN Assistant Secretary-General, Director of UNDP Regional Bureau for Arab States, stressed that CAWTAR has distinguished itself in the Arab region by grounding its work regarding a number of key issues on scientific evidence, and by providing training tools for the comprehensive empowerment of Arab women.

Dr. Fadoua Bakhadda, Director of IPPF-Arab World Regional Office, commended CAWTAR’s efforts to promote an education- and awareness-based approach to women’s health, and to prove, through scientific research and evidence, the close correlation between sustainable development and women’s enjoyment of their right to well-being and good health.

Dr. Sidi Ould Tah, Director-General of BADEA, stated that thanks to its accumulated expertise and experience at the Arab and African levels, CAWTAR will provide technical support to the Bank and will serve as a platform of expertise for the creation of the African Women’s Center.

At the end of the meeting, the representatives of UN-Women, UNFPA, AGFUND, IPPF, League of Arab States, BADEA, Saudi Fund for Development, Islamic Development Bank, and German Technical Cooperation Agency, reiterated the expression of their support to the Center in its work to further advance the status of women in the Arab region and beyond.

During the meeting, a two-year cooperation agreement was signed with the High Authority for the Press and Audiovisual Sector (HAPA) in Mauritania. The agreement covers various areas, including networking, capacity-building for media professionals on Gender Equality and the 2030 Agenda, media monitoring, transformational leadership, and financial education.