Another feather in Saudi women’s cap

JEDDAH: Dr. Samia Al-Amoudi has become the first GCC woman to win a prestigious seat in the Union for the International Cancer Control’s (UICC) Board of Directors. The announcement was made at a conference in Montreal, Canada on Monday.
“I feel that being awarded this seat will show the world the great advancement of Saudi and GCC women and the progress we have made, in addition to the obvious support and massive steps taken by government authorities and universities in assisting women in achieving high positions in the local and international community,” Al-Amoudi told Arab News.
She further said that being a board member of the UICC will help her greatly in her efforts to spread cancer awareness in the Kingdom and globally.
“It is also a great opportunity to show the West what Saudi and GCC women can achieve. Together we are strong and among other accomplishments, can control breast cancer,” Al-Amoudi added.
Dr. Khaled Al- Saleh, secretary-general of the Gulf Federation for Cancer Control (GFCC), echoed Al-Amoudi’s statements in a telephone interview. “Al-Amoudi’s win is a major breakthrough for Gulf women and proof of the significant development of women in GCC societies.”
He added that Saudi Arabia has more than 700 specialized cancer-related associations.
The seat will enable Al-Amoudi to acquire expert opinions and views of the cancer community to the global stage of the UICC at its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland and gain official reaction from the World Health Organization (WHO) and UN’s special Economic and Social Council (ECOSCO).
“I plan to take this chance to collaborate in the areas of advocacy and awareness and to exchange knowledge with international organizations and gain experience as a great asset to further our efforts in the area of cancer in the GCC,” Al-Amoudi said.
Al-Amoudi is one of 14 newly elected members of the UICC Board of Directors from countries such as the US, Mexico, Canada, Brazil, India, Jordan, France, Norway and Japan. All members will serve a two-year term beginning this year.