This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 SANAA 003558 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL KDEM KWMN YM PHUM
SUBJECT: DAS GRAY ADDRESSES WOMEN'S CONFERENCE, ROYG 
ANNOUNCES 15 PERCENT QUOTA FOR LOCAL ELECTIONS 
 
 ¶1. Summary.  On December 3 - 5, over 300 government and 
civil society representatives from across the Middle East 
participated in a Sanaa-based conference entitled "Women's 
Rights in the Arab World: From Words to Deeds."  Participants 
discussed a variety of topics, including women's roles in 
political participation, law, and development.  Visiting DAS 
Gordon Gray addressed the opening session, highlighting USG 
support for promoting the rights of women through the Middle 
East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) and announcing a $425,000 
USAID grant for implementing conference recommendations in 
Yemen. 
 
¶2.  Summary continued.  During the keynote speech, Yemeni 
Prime Minister Abdulkadir Bajammal announced ROYG support for 
a 15 percent quota for female representation in upcoming 
local council elections.  In another conference announcement, 
Soumaya Ali Rajaa became the first female presidential 
candidate in Yemeni history.  The final conference statement 
called on Arab governments to adopt international agreements 
on women's rights without reservations, adding unfortunate 
and pointless condemnations of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, and 
declarations of support for the "right of return" for 
Palestinian refugees.  End Summary. 
 
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Moving Beyond Words 
------------------- 
 
¶3.  Sponsored by the Yemeni Ministry for Human Rights and the 
UNDP, the conference brought together government officials 
and civil society leaders to discuss concrete steps to 
integrate Arab women into political, economic and social 
life.  During the opening ceremony, DAS Gray applauded 
participants' efforts to focus on deeds and not merely words. 
He outlined USG support for women's rights, including $10 
million to the Iraqi Women's Democracy Initiative and support 
provided through the $293 million MEPI program to reduce 
cultural, legal, regulatory, economic and political barriers 
to women's full participation in society. 
 
------------------------ 
Deeds for Women in Yemen 
------------------------ 
 
¶4.  Bajammal announced ROYG support for a 15 percent quota 
for female representation in the 2006 local elections.  He 
called on all political parties to adopt the quota, saying 
development into a modern society depended on women being 
equal in "law and obligations."  He also stressed the 
importance of addressing "cultural obstacles" that prevent 
women from participating fully in public and economic life. 
On December 19, the ruling General People's Conference 
announced its support for the 15 percent quota during the 
party's annual conference. (Comment: The announcement of 
ruling party support for a quota is a step forward for 
women's political participation in Yemen. Its ultimate 
success, however, will depend on the opposition parties' 
willingness to designate the same districts for 
all-female competition, as women stand little chance of 
winning in most districts if they must compete against male 
candidates. End Comment). 
 
----------------------------------- 
Sharing Experiences, Moving Forward 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶5.  Participants shared their experiences and ideas on how to 
advance women's rights in workshops focusing on the role of 
women in development, the law, and political life.  During a 
session on political representation, a representative from 
the government-sponsored Yemeni Women's National Committee 
discussed ways to overcome the gap that exists in many 
countries, like Yemen, between laws and real implementation 
of women's rights.  Focusing on women and the law, 
representatives from Algeria, Jordan, and Tunisia discussed 
ways to increase female participation in the judiciary 
system.  On women's role in development, a representative 
from the Lebanese Business Women's Association led a 
discussion on the importance of a woman's right to 
participate and play a decision making role in economic 
activity. 
 
¶6.  At the end of the conference, delegates issued a 
statement calling on Arab governments to implement all 
international conventions on women's rights without adding 
reservations that nullify the original intent of the 
agreements.  The statement also called on governments to 
remove all discriminatory laws that prevent women's full 
participation in economic and political life.  It also 
encouraged governments and civil society to improve 
educational opportunities and provide better health care for 
women.  Moving beyond women, the statement also condemned the 
"American invasion" of Iraq and the "Israeli occupation" of 
Palestine. 
 
¶7.  The end of the conference also witnessed the announcement 
of Soumaya Ali Rajaa, who became the first female 
presidential candidate in Yemeni history.  Rajaa, who 
currently heads a Paris-based Yemeni-French cultural 
association, promised to focus her campaign on the 
advancement of women's legal and social rights. 
 
¶8.  Comment:  While the final statement produced little in 
terms of concrete steps forward, the conference provided an 
excellent opportunity for women from across the region to 
share their experiences and voice support for each other's 
efforts.  Post will continue to coordinate with UNDP and the 
Ministry of Human Rights to develop concrete ideas for 
implementing conference recommendations.  End Comment. 
Khoury