IN an opening speech to the First Conference for Mediterranean Women Parliamentarians, Egypt's First Lady Mrs Suzanne Mubarak Saturday said that women MPs represented the “conscience of their nations” and can't stand silent about any national crisis. The three-day conference, organised by Egypt's National Women's Council, aims to discuss the role of women MPs in development. Mrs Mubarak, who explained that Egypt was one of the first countries to grant women all their political rights, asked women to stand up to defend the gains that they have made. The conference, which is drawing the participation of women MPs from the Mediterranean Sea region, is based on French President Nicolas Sarkozy's initiative, the Union for the Mediterranean. Mrs Mubarak described the Union for the Mediterranean as a push for regional cooperation. “The complications and challenges in the region increase. So it is becoming more and more necessary to give women a greater chance to participate in political decisionmaking,” she added. The negative effects of climate change and suggesting policies for reducing poverty are also among the important topics of the conference, which is discussing the role of women MPs in expediting development in a region that faces many challenges.