On Saturday June 10, 2006, Cairo will host the 3-day Davos Summit on Woman. Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak will open the sessions of the conference in which 40 ministers and 1000 businesswomen will participate. The conference aims at improving woman's economic and social status. Chief of the conference Irene Natividad has confirmed the active role played by Mrs. Mubarak to support the progress of the Egyptian woman. This is besides her role in pushing forward regional and world peace, added Natividad.

Asked about the reason standing behind the choice of Egypt to host the conference, Natividad has stressed that Egypt is the largest economic grouping in the Arab world thus confirming the pioneering role played by the Egyptian woman, particularly in the private sector. Natividad has added that the conference would help the Egyptian woman establish ties with her counterparts from 85 countries. The summit would help make partnership between businesswomen and the private sector, particularly 40 ministers including the minister of Woman Affairs in Afghanistan and ministers of social affairs in Canada, Morocco, Mali, South Africa, Burkina Faso, Rwanda, Burundi, Paraguay, Sudan and Syria are expected to participate in the conference.

In addition, more than 50 woman institutions representing woman commerce chambers in Bangladesh and Educational Development Academy in Spain, delegations from the Philippines and South Korea will take part in the conference. At the end of the conference, the forum of executive chiefs will take place where Sanaa el-Banna, board chairman of the Egyptian Holding Company for Petro-Chemicals will deliver a speech on how to change the structure of companies.

Sonia Dabbous
Akhbar el-Youm