Expo 2020 Dubai: New deal signed in UAE to promote gender balance

Dubai: The UAE Gender Balance Council and Expo 2020 Dubai have committed to strengthening engagement on gender balance and women empowerment, with the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to enhance cooperation during the six-month-long Expo.

Through the MoU, the council will be able to use the Expo, and the global spotlight it brings, to showcase the UAE’s achievements in gender balance.

Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of the UAE Gender Balance Council, President of Dubai Women Establishment, and wife of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, said: “Expo 2020 is a milestone in the UAE’s journey of continuous development, a journey that can be seen in our country’s record of pioneering projects and achievements across many important fields.”

She added: “With the participation of 191 countries creating a truly global platform, the event will also serve as a celebration of the UAE’s Golden Jubilee and the beginning of a new era of exceptional achievements for the next 50 years.”

The MoU between Expo and the council was signed virtually by Reem Al Hashimi, Minister of State for International Cooperation, Director-General of the Expo 2020 Dubai Bureau, and Mona Al Marri, Vice-President of the UAE Gender Balance Council.

Expo as a platform

Al Hashimi said: “Expo 2020 will be a global gathering during the UAE’s Golden Jubilee when we celebrate the achievements of our nation and look forward to the next 50 years. We will share our vision with the world and showcase the strength of cooperation through our country’s achievements over the past five decades. We will work with participating countries, organisations and the international community to shed light on our achievements and future goals in promoting gender balance worldwide, utilising history’s most comprehensive Expo as a platform.”

Al Marri meanwhile said the council will amplify the UAE’s success stories and share the country’s experience in gender balance and women empowerment during the Expo.

Global model

She added that the UAE is a regional and global model in gender legislation, as reflected by the country’s rankings in global indices and testimonies from international organisations. These achievements are driven by the council’s commitment since its establishment in 2015 and under the guidance of Sheikha Manal, Al Marri said.

She added that the Expo will present an ideal platform to promote knowledge sharing with international organisations and countries working to advance gender equality. The UAE Gender Balance Council will host an array of activities, sessions, and discussions throughout the Expo.