Adel Abdulrahman Al-Asoumi praised the contribution women have made in supporting the development process, and for achieving sustainable gains within society Al-Asoumi called for the support of legislation to help women fulfill their mission and vital role, while preserving their rights in a world full of difficult challenges CAIRO: Arab Parliament Speaker Adel Abdulrahman Al-Asoumi has stressed the pioneering role of Arab women in society. He praised the contribution women have made in supporting the development process, and for achieving sustainable gains within society. In a statement on Feb. 1, Arab Women’s Day, Al-Asoumi called for the support of legislation to help women fulfill their mission and vital role, while preserving their rights in a world full of difficult challenges. He spoke of the difficult conditions they were particularly facing in war zones and armed conflicts. Al-Asoumi noted the role of the Arab Parliament in issuing the Arab Document on Women’s Rights, which recognizes the role of Arab women and will act as a legislative framework and reference in enacting laws related to them. The speaker pointed out that the current backdrop was particularly harrowing, with Palestinian women living under the harsh conditions of systematic violence practiced by the Israeli occupation, which killed, starved and displaced. He spoke of his recognition of the sacrifices made by Palestinian women to defend their land, stressing that women in Gaza were a symbol of struggle and sacrifice, and he called on the international community to mobilize efforts to provide aid to them within the enclave. Arab Women’s Day is celebrated on Feb. 1 each year. The move was approved by the Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union in 1999 following an initiative by Bahia Hariri, a member of the Lebanese parliament at the time.