OIC's rights commission seeks support for women, child refugees

A displaced Iraqi girl cries before entering Hamam al-Alil camp, as Iraqi forces battle with Islamic State militants, south of Mosul, Iraq on Friday. (REUTERS)

JEDDAH: The Independent Permanent Commission on Human Rights (IPCHR) of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Wednesday highlighted the challenges facing women refugees and migrants around the world and in conflict zones on the occasion of International Women’s Day.
The commission urged all OIC member states and the international community to intensify efforts to provide legal, social and economic assistance that accounts for differences between genders, while protecting and promoting human rights.
Women and girls in conflict situations represent around 50 percent of any group of refugees and migrants, according to the Human Rights Council at the UN.
The OIC also stressed the need for legal assistance to address practical challenges facing women, including lack of access to legal help and justice due to displacement, social and economic deprivation, illiteracy and lack of awareness about their rights.
It welcomed the adoption by member states last November of a work plan for the advancement of women. The organization urged the international community to implement the plan in full by adopting the proposed policies nationally and by making use of the work plan mechanisms and monitoring the specified indicators.
The plan includes the establishment of a women advisory council that should aim to guarantee female participation on an equal footing with male counterparts in the decision-making processes, including in the fields of conflict resolution, dispute settlement and peace building.
The IPCHR also stressed the importance of finding a meaningful solution for dispute settlement and peace building, as building communities capable of coexisting in post-conflict areas requires equipping women with adequate education and economic tools.
Since its establishment in 2011, the IPCHR has made the issue of women’s rights a key priority, considering it one of its strategic areas of work.
As part of its effort to promote human rights within and outside OIC member states, it has produced situational studies and held discussions on the issue.