“EQUALITY FIRST: Dignity, social justice and full implementation of women’s rights as universal human rights are a precondition for democracy”

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A Euro-Med Coalition of women leaders of advocacy and lobby women’s rights NGOs from six Arab countries from the MENA region and European Feminist Initiative (IFE-EFI), a women’s rights network represented in 15 countries in Europe held their first regional meeting-workshop from the 1st - 3rd of October 2011 in Cairo to launch the working program and their project “Promotion a common agenda for equality between women and men through Istanbul Process”. The Arab Women Organization (AWO) is part of this coalition .The project is funded by the European Commission.

The workshop had for a purpose to develop a common methodology for building capacity to utilize Istanbul Framework of Action in the region in the context of the Arab uprisings and transitions towards democracy. The Istanbul Process is based on the political commitment of all the governments in the Euro-Med region who for the first time agreed 2006 to work for the promotion and strengthening women’s rights in the region.

Our Cairo meeting elaborated a comprehensive approach to Istanbul Framework of Action, connecting it with the other International Conventions and Resolutions promoting equality between women and men and women’s rights.

“Equality first!” was chosen as a central message of the regional campaign within the frame of this project to promote equality and women’s rights as a top priority on the political agendas  and an issue of crucial importance for sustainable democracy, peace and development.  

The richness of the 3 days’ work enlightened all the aspects of our cooperation; a cooperation that all of us has been developing for several years on equal bases, in the respect of our differences but also with the high consciousness of our common principles and values: the continuous and persistent work for equality between women and men, for the full implementation of women’s rights as universal human rights. These were reaffirmed as a condition for achieving a sustainable democracy.

The history shows that achieving positive changes for women’s rights needs the involvement of women’s themselves. That’s why the project aims at raising awareness, involving the grassroots associations and linking the civil and political spheres in order to promote, to make known and used the internationally and regionally agreed values and tools for the improvement of women’s rights and equality between men and women and for strengthening the role of women in the Euro-Mediterranean space.

Cairo 6th of October 2011