OIC conference adopts Islamabad Declaration, launches women's digital inclusion initiative

ISLAMABAD: The 9th Ministerial Conference on Women of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Monday adopted the Islamabad Declaration, reaffirming member states' commitment to advancing the socio-economic and political empowerment of women and girls, and launched the Islamabad Initiative on Women's Digital Inclusion.

According to the declaration, adopted at the conclusion of the two-day conference in Islamabad, OIC member states pledged to strengthen policies and institutional mechanisms to ensure women's meaningful participation in political, economic and public life across the Muslim world.

The declaration called on member states to remove barriers to women's education and employment by expanding access to quality education, vocational training and leadership development. It also stressed the need to strengthen women's economic empowerment through greater access to employment, finance, entrepreneurship opportunities and social protection systems.

The participating countries also agreed to promote inclusive financial systems, including Islamic finance, microfinance and digital financial services, while supporting women-led small and medium-sized enterprises through improved access to capital, innovation and trade opportunities.

Highlighting the growing importance of technology, the declaration underscored the need to increase women's participation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies. It urged member states to bridge the digital gender gap by expanding affordable digital infrastructure, improving connectivity, increasing access to digital devices and promoting digital literacy programs, particularly in rural areas.

Promoting digital inclusion

As part of the conference outcomes, the OIC launched the Islamabad Initiative on Women's Digital Inclusion, a voluntary platform aimed at promoting digital literacy, digital entrepreneurship, STEM education, artificial intelligence skills, cybersecurity awareness and equitable access to digital technologies for women and girls across member states.

The initiative invites interested OIC countries, institutions and development partners to contribute through training programs, scholarships, mentorship and the exchange of expertise and best practices.

The declaration also urged member states to strengthen measures against all forms of violence against women and girls, including cyber harassment, online abuse, exploitation and technology-facilitated threats. It further called for enhanced cooperation to combat Islamophobia, xenophobia, discrimination and hate speech targeting Muslim women and girls.

Expressing solidarity with the women and girls of Palestine and Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), the declaration called on the international community to provide legal, humanitarian, economic, educational and psychosocial support to help alleviate their suffering.

The conference reaffirmed that empowering women and girls through education, skills development, leadership and economic participation is essential for the progress, resilience and prosperity of OIC member states. It also thanked the Government of Pakistan for hosting the conference and expressed appreciation to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for his patronage.

Roadmap for women's empowerment

The conference also adopted an omnibus resolution outlining a comprehensive framework for strengthening cooperation among member states on women's empowerment.

Speaking at the closing session, OIC Assistant Secretary-General Ambassador Dr Tarig Ali Bakheet said the conference reflected the collective determination of member states to advance the status of women as a key pillar of sustainable development and the prosperity of the Muslim Ummah.

He described the adoption of the omnibus resolution as an important milestone, saying it provided a comprehensive roadmap to promote women's empowerment and address the evolving challenges women face across the Islamic world.

Dr Bakheet emphasized that the true success of the conference would depend on the effective implementation of its resolutions and recommendations, urging member states, OIC institutions and development partners to work together to achieve measurable outcomes.

Congratulating Pakistan on assuming the chairmanship of the Ministerial Conference on Women, he expressed confidence that the country would effectively lead the implementation of the conference's decisions.

He also reaffirmed the OIC General Secretariat's commitment to working closely with Pakistan, the OIC Women Development Organization and member states to translate the conference's commitments into concrete achievements, while calling for greater unity across the Muslim world to promote the dignity, empowerment and well-being of women.