As part of the OIC Culture Festival, the Women's Creativity Forum was held

As part of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) cultural festival "Baku Creative Week - 2025", organized in the capital of Azerbaijan by the Republic's Ministry of Culture and the OIC in partnership with the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, a Women's Creativity Forum was held.

As reported by BAKU.WS with reference to AZERTAJ, the forum was organized by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the OIC Women Development Organization (WDO), the Association for the Development of Women's Entrepreneurship in Azerbaijan, and the "Creative Azerbaijan" platform.

The forum was attended by the Vice President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Leyla Aliyeva, the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the KADEM Women and Democracy Foundation Sümeyye Erdoğan Bayraktar, WDO Director General Afnan Al-Shuaibi, as well as women innovators and entrepreneurs from Kazakhstan, Bahrain, and Uzbekistan.

In her welcome speech, WDO Director General Afnan Al-Shuaibi expressed gratitude to the forum organizers. She noted the important role of women in forming a knowledge-based society: "This is an indicator of development and progress. Our main mission is to create conditions that allow women to discover and realize their potential. Women make a great contribution to the development of society both as entrepreneurs and as cultural innovators. We are ready to mobilize all our capabilities to promote women, present their activities, and implement creative projects."

The Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the KADEM Women and Democracy Foundation Sümeyye Erdoğan Bayraktar emphasized that a woman is not a subsequently joined participant in creative spheres, but their original foundation and essence. "The values created by women are passed from generation to generation. One of the brightest examples of this is Azerbaijani carpet weaving. Similarly, products from Iznik and Kütahya and other art schools were also formed thanks to the creative spirit, skill, and aesthetic taste of women. Turkish motifs and their reflection in art clearly demonstrate the role of women in these areas throughout history," added Sümeyye Erdoğan Bayraktar.

The Chairman of the Board of the Association for the Development of Women's Entrepreneurship in Azerbaijan Sakina Babayeva, in turn, noted that the forum is an ideal platform for discussing women's opportunities in the creative sphere and their future prospects: "The state support provided in this direction in Azerbaijan is of great importance and deserves high appreciation. The main goal of the forum is to identify existing gaps and strengthen cooperation in this area between OIC countries."

After the opening of the forum, a conceptual visual composition based on Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi's saying "Step out of the circle of Time - enter the circle of Love" was presented. The illustrative part of the project was based on the works of artist Leyla Aliyeva. The author of the visual concept is Honored Artist and founder of Atesh Hub Sabina Shikhlinskaya, with musical arrangement by Orkhan Agayev (DJ Pancho).

It should be noted that within the framework of the Women's Creativity Forum, there was an exchange of views on topics such as "Expanding international trade opportunities for women in creative industries," "The role of innovation, technology, and investment in empowering women," and other issues. Speakers talked about supporting creative enterprises led by women, strengthening international cooperation, and the role of innovation in accelerating cultural and economic transformation. It was emphasized that the Women's Creativity Forum reaffirms the common commitment to developing women's leadership in the creative economy, promoting innovation and sustainability, as well as expanding international partnerships.

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