Tunisia holds forum to highlight women's role in development

TUNIS, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- Tunisian Minister of Industry, Mines and Energy Fatma Thabet Chiboub on Tuesday inaugurated the Women's Leadership and Economic Inclusion Forum in the capital Tunis, aimed at promoting women's participation in development and strengthening their leadership in economic and industrial strategies.

Organized by the International Women Entrepreneurs Council based in Tunisia, the three-day event also focuses on enhancing regional cooperation across the Mediterranean, according to a statement from the Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy.

In her opening remarks, Chiboub underscored women's growing presence in key decision-making positions across various economic sectors, noting their contributions to investment and private initiative.

She highlighted several indicators demonstrating women's role in industry, including the fact that more than 500 industrial enterprises in Tunisia are headed by women.

Women also account for 45 percent of the workforce in strategic industrial sectors and more than 30 percent of decision-makers in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device industries in the country, according to the minister.

She called for increased efforts to support female entrepreneurs and ensure their broader integration into the national economic system, stressing the importance of mechanisms that facilitate project expansion and job creation.

The forum brought together ambassadors and representatives from around 10 countries, along with a large number of female business leaders, said the statement.