Mohtarma Bhutto to lead new Muslim global organization

Islamabad, 9 May 2007: Former Pakistani Prime Minister and Chairperson Pakistan Peoples Party, Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto together with Mrs Hoda Badran, Egypt, will lead a new forum called " Muslim women for human rights and democracy" as Chair and Vice Chair respectively.

The forum was established Tuesday May 8 in Oslo, Norway, in the Oslo Centre for Peace and Human Rights by a group of the worlds most influential Muslim women.

Says Iranian Nobel prizewinner Shirin Ebadi: "I welcome this initiative starting a Forum for Muslim Women for Democracy". The vision of the Forum is to empower Muslim women in all nations and to provide a new, global platform around the world to support the values of peace and justice.

According to Mohtarma Bhutto the Forum resolves to enhance the culture of tolerance within and amongst communities. The first goals are to raise awareness amongst the more than 600 million Muslim women in the world about their basic human rights and to challenge all discriminatory laws and practices, which undermine the equal status of women. The group also decided to challenge governments to adopt good governance and encourage them to adopt affirmative actions and policies to promote women in decision-making positions at all level.