On the occasion of the International Day of Peace, celebrated on September 21 of each year and in the context of promoting Goal No. 16 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals – Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions, the National Council for Women Last Thursday, the National Council for Women, in collaboration with UN Women and the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation, organized the “Women and Sports for Peace” event to mark the International Day of Peace.
The event aimed to raise awareness of women’s role in promoting global peace through sports.
Keynote speakers included Ambassador Mona Omar, Dr. Moez Drid, and Ambassador Alvaro Iranzo.
Ambassador Mona Omar emphasized the importance of sports in promoting peace and preventing extremism.
In turn, Dr. Rania Elwani highlighted the unifying power of sports and encouraged families to support their children’s participation in sports for character-building and leadership skills.
The event also honored Egyptian female athletes for their achievements in the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games and featured various sports and entertainment activities to encourage women’s participation in sports.r Women, in partnership with UN Women and the Government of Spain represented by the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation, organized today the event “Women and Sports for Peace” to highlight the pivotal role of women in promoting global peace.
The event aimed to raise awareness of the concepts of women, peace and security by using sport as a tool to promote global peace by highlighting the ability of sport to overcome social and cultural barriers, empower women, and promote concepts of gender equality.
The event featured keynote speeches by Ambassador Mona Omar, Member of the National Council for Women and Rapporteur of the Foreign Relations Committee; Dr. Moez Drid, Regional Director of the UN Women Arab States Office; and His Excellency Ambassador Alvaro Iranzo, Ambassador of Spain to Egypt, in addition to speeches by Dr. Rania Elwani, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynecologist, 3-time Olympic medalist and Ambassador of Sport and Peace.
In her speech, Ambassador Mona Omar, member of the National Council for Women and rapporteur of the Foreign Relations Committee, stressed that at the present time, which is witnessing wars and conflicts in many places, women of the world are searching for tools to achieve peace, and here sports come as one of the most important of these tools, through its role in promoting openness among the peoples of the world as a whole, respecting diversity and preventing extremism.
Explaining that young people who practice sports do not tend towards extremism and destructive ideas, she said: “We all have a responsibility to create awareness in the entire society about the importance of sports as a tool for achieving peace in the world.
She also expressed her pride in Egypt’s sports champions, and that they have always been a gateway and an honorable front for Egypt towards achieving peace, as they are a role model for all young Egyptian men and women everywhere that everything can be achieved with willpower. She concluded her speech by saying: “Let us hope that peace will be achieved in the world with our strong will and that we will never despair, and let us all chant the slogan of peace for the whole world PEACE FOR THE WOLE WORLD.
In turn, Dr. Rania Alwani said that sports have a unique ability to bring people together, regardless of their background or culture, and that it has been a source of lifelong friendships for her. In conclusion, she called on every family and every home to support and encourage their children to practice sports on a daily basis, as it has a positive impact on character-building and leadership skills.
The event witnessed a special tribute to a group of Egyptian female athletes who achieved historic achievements in the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, in appreciation of their role in raising the name of Egypt and inspiring future generations.
During the day, many sports and entertainment activities were organized, aiming to encourage women’s participation in sports and to enhance sportsmanship and competition.
