In 1869 British MP John Stuart Mill was the first person in Parliament to call for women's right to vote. On 19 September 1893 New Zealand became the first country in the world to give women the right to vote. Women in other countries did not enjoy this equality and campaigned for justice for many years.

International Women's Day has been observed since in the early 1900's, a time of great expansion and turbulence in the industrialized world that saw booming population growth and the rise of radical ideologies.

When Baghdad opened its gates as the new capital of the Abbasid Caliphate, the prime site in the city was occupied by the royal library. Both the city and the library, completed around 765, were built by Caliph al-Mansur, who devised a method for measuring the circumference of the Earth and was second in a long line of Abbasid caliphs who valued thought and learning above all else. The Abbasids created, shaped and developed one of the most rich and fertile periods of science in human history.

“ Arab women challenges in Europe”

Workshop 1 – Strengthening Women in Society, Public Life and Dialogue

“ Europe and the Arab World – Connecting Partners in Dialogue”

17-19 December 17-19 December 2008

The Association of the Arab Women is worried about the increase of violent acts against women.  It is important to emphasize that domestic violence has many forms:  -   physical, sexual, psychological and structural violence.