Armed conflicts delay Arab women progress

BEIRUT, Lebanon, March 8 (UPI) -- Delegates to an Arab women's conference in Beirut Monday blamed continued armed conflict for delaying the development and progress of women in the Middle East.

The conference of "Arab Women and Armed Conflicts" opened in Beirut on the International Women's Day amid calls for a just and comprehensive settlement of the Middle East crisis.

Lebanese first lady Andre Lahoud told the conference that the situation in the region is worsening and women's conditions are deteriorating due to continued Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories and the tragic developments in Iraq.

"Despite all the difficulties, Arab women succeeded in imposing themselves in various fields and the Arab mentality has become more open to the need to secure more opportunities for women to develop and participate in all domains," Lahoud said.

The director of the U.N. Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia Mirvat Tellawy of Egypt said there are 50 million refugees in the world, 75 percent of whom are women and children.

She said in the state of wars and armed conflicts women assume a bigger role in supporting their families financially as men are engaged in actual fighting.

"Armed conflicts also expose women to displacement and physical dangers including kidnapping and rape," Tellawy said.

The two-day conference is being attended by several Arab first ladies and queens, including Suzanne Mubarak of Egypt, Jordanian Queen Rania, Asma Assad of Syria, Sheika Hossa of Kuwait and the wife of Bahrain's king.