The Second 'Arab Media and Child Rights Forum' opens in Dubai

Held under the patronage of Her Highness Princess Haya bint Al Hussain, the Ambassador of Goodwill for World Food Programme (WFP).

Representing select Arab organizations active in the field of Human Development, Media and Human Rights, the organizers of this year's forum include: the Regional Office of UNICEF, Middle East and North Africa, the Arab Institute for Human Rights, Al Bayan Newspaper and the Dubai Press Club.

The first day of the Forum discussed important issues related to the status of girls in the Arab world and particularly those related to the education of girl child and the main obstacles in this context. The Forum also focused on initiatives that aim to enable Arab girl child to get better education opportunities.

The Forum opening session was addressed by UNICEF MENA Goodwill Ambassador Mahmoud Kabil; Mohammed Al Mansoori, Executive Director, Dubai Press Club and Thomas McDermott, UNICEF MENARO, Regional Director.

In his inaugural speech Mohammed Al Mansoori, who represented the Organizing Committee welcomed the guests to Dubai and stressed the importance of the Forum's theme and the role of media organisations in creating awareness about the importance of offering educational opportunities to Arab girls.

Mahmoud Kabil, UNICEF MENA Goodwill Ambassador pointing out the importance of education said that the right of education for girls comes just after her right to life. He said that the Arab girl child is still suffering violence and discrimination and the Arab society has to work hard to raise the status of girls in this region of the world.

Kabil said that there are more than 7.5 million children in the Arab world who are not educated and the majority amongst them are girls. He stressed the importance of providing equal educational opportunities.

Thomas McDermott said that there are major differences in Arab countries in relation to girl's education, with wide differences within each country as well. He pointed out the gap between the numbers of male and female students inspite of the fact the girl students excel in education and are better than male students.

The opening speeches were followed by the first session which focused on 'Girls' Education in Today's Arab World in the Context of Global and Regional Initiatives'. The session was addressed by Dr. Malak Zaalouk, UNICEF MENARO Regional Education Officer who spoke about the education of children in the region and the efforts made to develop girls' education in the Arab countries, and the importance of the role of the media in this respect.

Dr. Malak Zaalouk said that the Arab region has very low educational levels for girls. In Djibouti there are only 30% of girls who are educated, in Yemen 41%, Sudan 45%, Saudi Arabia 57% and Oman 76%. She said that in 2005 the gap between boys and girls education in the primary school was 14% and the secondary school 16%. This is the biggest gap of its kind in the world, with the Arab world being the second last in the world in girls' education

Tareq Shayya, WFP: Nutrition and Girls' Education said that there are more than 840 million starving people in the world; 300 million are children and 100 million uneducated. He said that poverty and starvation are the main reasons for low education in the world in general and the Arab world in particular.

The first Arab Media and Child Rights Forum was held last year in Dubai and was highly successful in initiating a dialogue on the role of media in enhancing children's rights. The objective o the Arab Media and Child Rights Forum is to maintain and further encourage Arab media's active participation in preserving Children's rights and related humanitarian and human development issues.