Representatives of non-governmental organizations meet on the FORUM FOR THE FUTURE

On November 26-28, 2006, the Jordanian capital Amman hosted a meeting of Non- Governmental Organizations held in the course of the FORUM FOR THE FUTURE. Attending the event was a RABC delegation led by the RABC Director, President of the All-Russian Public Organization “WOMEN IN BUSINESS”, Tatyana Gvilava. Addressing a roundtable session “Women’s Political and Economic Rights”, she spoke on the gender policy in Russia, noting that the annual increase in small-and medium-sized businesses set up by women amounts to 17%, and called upon the participants to adopt and follow the formula of “Economic Independence of Woman as a guarantee of her successful and effective participation in political, social and economic life”.

Tatyana Gvilava described the activities of the organization she heads and suggested setting up an International Women’s Business Council to promote the consolidation of women’s organizations operating in different countries of the world and thus propel them up to a global level, which would facilitate the development of joint strategies in the solution of women’s problems and regular discussions of any topical issues relevant to their operation.

Later in her speech, the Women in Business President informed about the forthcoming Forum of Women Entrepreneurs to be held in Moscow in March 2007, which will address all organizational and structural problems concerning the setting up of the IWBC, determine its aims and purposes as well as develop mechanisms to ensure women’s comprehensive participation in the evolution of the global business community.

T.Gvilava suggested that the agenda of the Forum feature the approval and adoption of a “formula” providing for economic independence and self-support of women, the discussion of how to ensure their increasingly active involvement in small-and medium sized business as well as the ways of promoting contacts within the framework of what she called a "women's economic diplomacy" aimed at organizing a civilized business interaction on a global scale and enhancing the role of women in the socio-economic and political lives of their countries.

The roundtable participants, representing a number of Middle Eastern and Northern African countries, voiced their support for the Russian initiative as central to, and instrumental in, guaranteeing the rights and freedoms for women in that area.

The delegates from Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and a number of other countries confirmed their willingness to attend the forthcoming Moscow session and requested more detailed information about the Forum, in order to attract the attention of a greater number of any interested business-ladies in their countries.