Jeddah : Monday, May 8, 2006

The Islamic Development Bank has proclaimed the winners of the Bank's 1427H (2006) Prize for Women's Contribution to Development.

An independent selection committee composed of five learned women has awarded, at the end of its series of meetings at the IDB headquarters, the IDB Prize (individuals) to self-made women entrepreneurs for their role in sustainable development. The committee awarded the prize jointly to Mrs. Fatima Abdurrahim Al Jada'a, proprietor of Al Hanaa Tailoring in Qalqilia, Palestine and Mrs. Nawfa Qutaifan Al Faiz, proprietor of Hajir Dairy Processing Factory in Azraq al Hududia, in recognition of their role in establishing and running productive enterprises and in providing job opportunities for many low-income women. The overall prize money is US$ 50, 000.

As for the IDB prize of US$ 100,000 for women's non-governmental institutions and organizations, the committee has divided it among three institutions for women:
• Family Revival Society, Al Bira, Palestine
• Women of the Future, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
• Alga Association for Rural Women, Kyrgyzstan

The committee has awarded the prize to the above-mentioned associations in recognition of their outstanding role in implementing training programmes and boosting socio-economic development efforts concerning women in training, drinking water supply and health awareness respectively.

The President of the Islamic Development Bank, Dr. Ahmad Mohamed Ali stated, on the occasion, that the Bank has come up with the prize recently to encourage women in socio-economic development and poverty alleviation in member countries and in recognition of the accomplishments of women and women's organizations and of their pivotal role in improving social conditions and establishing small enterprises and thus improving the living conditions of families and local communities in the countries concerned.
He also said that the prizes will be presented to the winners during the upcoming annual meeting of the IDB Board of Governors scheduled to take place in Kuwait on 3 – 4/5/1427H (30-31/5/2006).