(zaman) - Problems afflicting women living in Muslim societies arise from mistaken tradition, not from religion, said the Turkish prime minister, reports Trend.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan was speaking at the first Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) ministerial conference on women's roles in Istanbul, Monday.
The conference examined women's roles in development, especially in Islamic states.
OIC Secretary General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, Turkish Minister for Women Nimet Cubukcu and many other high ranking officials from OIC member states also participated.
In his speech, Erdogan said women in Islamic societies had certain problems which do not arise from religion, as assumed, but from tradition reckoned as religion."
Erdogan also stressed that development could not be talked about until women were granted their long deserved place in society.
He added that one of the priorities of the current government was to fight against discrimination.