On the 30th of November 2021, Ms. Suzan Aref, #WEO president, was invited as a speaker at a high-level panel entitled “ A Woman Even Here: Women's Right to Safety and Dignity in Humanitarian Response” organized by #UNFPA in collaboration with Dubai Cares organization in UNFPA event at #Expo 2020.

During the panel, Ms. Suzan Aref addressed the role of CSOs in general and WEO in specific in combating violence against women and responding to the needs of women and girls in times of conflict and crises, particularly Covid-19 pandemic. Moreover, Ms. Aref talked about WEO’s work in providing services and strengthening the capacities of women Syrian refugees in the refugees’ camps in KRI. Ms. Aref ended by stressing the importance of the CSOs’ role in encouraging the building of a political will to support women’s issues and the need to involve governments in taking responsibility when it comes to women’s issues