Arab Forum in Sharjah ends with call to empower women

The 5th Arab Forum for Cultural Heritage concluded in Sharjah after three days of dialogue, knowledge-sharing, and strategic planning to strengthen cultural heritage protection in the Arab region.

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Organised by ICCROM through its Regional Centre in Sharjah, the Forum brought together cultural officials, experts, academics, and practitioners to exchange experiences, showcase innovative projects, and chart collaborative pathways for the future.

In the closing session, participants adopted a set of key recommendations, which focused on empowering youth and women as central actors in heritage protection.

They highlighted the need to integrate heritage topics into curricula at all educational levels and develop vocational training programmes for youth and women in conservation, documentation, and cultural entrepreneurship, as well as in media and communication, fields essential for strengthening heritage discourse and public engagement.

The recommendations also emphasised the role of non-formal education, museums, and libraries in promoting a deeper community awareness of heritage, and called for initiatives targeting children and youth to reinforce intergenerational connections through cultural values.