The President of the Parliamentary Education Committee MP Bahia Hariri presided a press conference this morning at the Mövenpick Hotel to announce the New Arab Woman Forum that will be held in its 6th edition on March 1st and 2nd this year under the patronage of the First Lady of Lebanon Mrs. Wafaa Sleiman.
The press conference also included the founder and Executive Chair of the Forum, Mrs. Nadine Abou Zaki, and the director of the French Institute in Lebanon, Mr. Aurélien Lechevallier.
Bahia Hariri:
At the beginning, Mrs. Hariri commended the extraordinary efforts that have been made since the New Arab Woman Forum was initiated under the exceptional aegis of Al-Hasna’a Magazine and Al-Iktissad Wal-A’amal Group to ensure the success of this initiative and its role in embracing Arab women's issues in their diversity.
Mrs. Hariri added: "We are gathered today to announce the 6th edition of the New Arab Women Forum that will be held under the patronage of the First Lady of Lebanon Mrs. Wafaa Sleiman, to reflect on the theme of "Unlocking the Potential of Arab Women Entrepreneurs". Most importantly is that this Forum will be held in Beirut on March 1st and 2nd despite the difficult circumstances that we are facing in Lebanon and that led to the decline in the number of Arab brothers attendees to Lebanon and Beirut which they consider their second home and where they have set up houses and woven deep friendship bonds and have thus become part of the Lebanese fabric. We are always eager to their comeback in our country, so that Beirut retrieves its role, its radiance and its glory. It is no surprise that Al-Iktissad Wal-A’amal and Al-Hasna’a Magazine always lay a bridge between Beirut on the one hand and our brothers and friends on the other hand, for this institution, since its inception, has never relinquished to assume its national role in the areas of economics, business, and Arab women.
We look forward to this Forum that will convene its 6th edition, covering a large set of outstanding topics and wide range of distinguished speakers and guests. We hope that it will serve as a new start for Arab women and for Arab joint action and to build bridges of trust between the Arab world and the international community, so as to contribute together in building a humane society based on freedom, justice, solidarity and respect for human rights. We salute all initiatives carried out by our brotherly and friendly countries seeking to enhance communication and the exchange of experiences and to build bridges of trust between our countries and the world nations.
I wish great success to this Forum and seize this occasion to extend my thanks and appreciation to Al-Hasna’a Magazine and our dear Nadine Abou Zaki, as well as to Al-Iktissad Wal-A’amal in the person of Raouf Abou Zaki for what they have been doing for Lebanon and the Arab world. I am confident that we will witness a special event this year that befits Lebanon and the Lebanese, as was the case in the past years".
Lechevallier:
Then the director of the French Institute in Lebanon Mr. Aurélien Lechevallier stressed the importance of this Forum for Arab women and commended the tireless efforts of the organizers to make this forum an annual event.
Commenting on the subject of the 6th edition, Lechevallier said: “There is no doubt that women's entrepreneurship act as catalyst for the liberation of women. It is in France, in Lebanon and everywhere in the world, one of the major factors to reach gender equity, and this is a challenge that is not easy to face up to. In France, for instance, a country where women won many battles, only thirty percent of entrepreneurs are women. With regard to this not fully tapped yet recognized potential source of economic growth, it is necessary today to contribute to the development of entrepreneurship among women, and it is time to take into account women's leadership, this “enormous reserve of potentialities” and a source of ideas continuously stirring economic ambitions”.
Abou Zaki:
Nadine Abou Zaki declared that the 6th edition of the New Arab Woman Forum (NAWF) will be held under the High Patronage of the First Lady of Lebanon, Mrs. Wafaa Sleiman, and is organized by Al-Iktissad Wal-A’amal Group and Al-Hasna’a Magazine, in collaboration with the French Institute in Lebanon. “I am glad”, she said, “to welcome His Excellency Mrs. Bahia Hariri, honorary president of this Forum, who has been embracing and sponsoring this event since its inception. I also welcome Mr. Lechevallier, director of the French Institute, for his sincere cooperation and for sponsoring this Forum for the second year in a row”, adding that:
“This 6th edition is taking place under the theme "Unlocking the Potential of Arab Women Entrepreneurs", a topic that responds to the growing regional and global interest in the importance of micro, small and medium enterprises as an effective way to achieve sustainable and balanced development and create job opportunities for young people from both genders. This trend has gained a special importance after the outbreak of the global financial crisis and its economic repercussions that highlighted the advantages of SMEs and their ability to cope with crises and fluctuations. This edition will address the role of women as entrepreneurs and the way to strengthen and encourage their role, especially since women have achieved many success stories in various fields”.
She continued: “Our choice for this theme is at the core of our interest in the Arab woman’s cause, as her involvement in economic and social activities is an essential factor that helps develop her personality, highlight her talents and strengthen her position in the society, thus reinforcing her ability to protect and safeguard her rights. Indeed, productive women are at the same time free women who are conscious of their role”.
The Forum, which is held for the 6th consecutive year, will bring together as usual a distinct array of speakers and participants, men and women, from Lebanon, the Arab region and whole world, including ministers and officials, businessmen, entrepreneurs and subject-matter experts, as well as media representatives.
The forum addresses a number of topics relating to entrepreneurship, including:
• Women’s entrepreneurship as a contributor to employment opportunities.
• Policies and initiatives to support entrepreneurship and to improve the environment for their activities.
• Funding and supporting micro, small and medium micro-finance institutions.
• Education and training in the field of entrepreneurship.
• Taking advantage of the best regional and international practices to promote entrepreneurship among Arab women.
• Social Entrepreneurship
• Success Stories
In her conclusion remarks, Abou Zaki said that for the second consecutive year, the Forum agenda will culminate with the WOW Awards ceremony that will recognize women who stand out for their performance in the areas of business, civil service and entrepreneurship, media, art and culture, science, technology and research. We call upon interested citizens to vote for the candidates in the six awards categories.
