Translated by: Nahed Ashraf
Under the kind auspices of His Excellency the President of the Republic, and in the presence of His Excellency the Prime Minister, the activities of the conference
“Investing in Religious and Media Discourse and Its Impact on Protecting and Enhancing Women’s Rights in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Countries” was launched and held at Al-Azhar Sharif Conference Center over the first and second days of February 2026 as part of a strategic partnership between Al-Azhar Sharif, the National Council for Women, and the Women Development Organization (WDO).
The conference was attended by Mostafa Madbouly, Prime Minister, on behalf of His Excellency President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, President of the Republic, and in the presence of high-level figures including His Eminence the Grand Imam Ahmed El-Tayeb, Sheikh of Al-Azhar Sharif; Counselor Amal Ammar, President of the National Council for Women and President of the Ministerial Council of the Women Development Organization; and a number of ministers and governors, heads of media institutions, and senior officials from various Organization of Islamic Cooperation countries.
The convening of the conference comes within the framework of Egypt’s presidency of the eighth session of the Ministerial Conference of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation for Women, held in Cairo from July 6 to 8, 2021, which issued a decision calling for investing religious and media discourse in protecting and enhancing women’s rights and organizing a specialized international conference on women’s rights in Islam, which this important international event embodies.
The conference aims to build a comprehensive and sustainable approach to enhancing women’s rights in the Islamic world by employing enlightened religious discourse and responsible media in supporting protection and empowerment efforts and enhancing the media’s role as a main actor in shaping positive community awareness towards women’s issues, contributing to combating stereotypical images and negative cultures, confronting hate speech and violence against women and girls, and entrenching principles of justice, equality, and human dignity.
The conference activities witnessed the participation of Dr. Amani Shaker, Secretary of the National Council for Women branch and Vice President of the University in Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate, in clear affirmation of the vital role played by the Council’s branches in the governorates in supporting women’s issues and active participation in national and regional efforts aimed at protecting women’s rights and enhancing their empowerment in various fields.
The participants affirmed that the integration between religious and media discourses represents a fundamental pillar for building a community environment supportive of women’s rights, especially amid the social, economic, and cultural transformations witnessed by the Islamic world, contributing to achieving sustainable development and building more just and equitable societies.
