Women still not tech-savvy, Haya tells aid conference

Dubai: Providing aid to women in the developing world is a challenge, said an UN Ambassador of Peace Monday at the inauguration of an international humanitarian aid conference.

"Technology is mostly male and men have greater access to it than women", said Princess Haya Bint Al Hussain, wife of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

She said technology can be seen as a cultural intrusion. "Whether you are talking about something as simple as a mobile phone or a comlex mainframe computer [in the developing world], men would have greater access to it. But our targets in humanitarian aid are far more likely directed at women and children who remain outside the circles of technology and market capitalism," said Princess Haya, who is the UN Messenger of Peace.

Princess Haya earlier inaugurated the Dubai International Humanitarian Aid and Development Conference (DIHAD) in her capacity as Chairperson of the International Humanitarian City. She was accompanied by Lady Valerie Amos, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator.

This year's theme of the Congress is ‘New Technologies: How they Impact Humanitarian and Development Operations'.

Princess Haya said the advances in technology have been tremendous. "Technology allows aid agencies to communicate and deliver services far more effectively than in the past. Technological advances in areas like health and agriculture have had a dramatically positive impact on the lives of the poor and hungry. Technology also presents new ways to transfer cash or food rations to beneficiaries through the use of coupons or vouchers, bank cards and even cell phones," she said.

But she noted that reaching out to a huge population of women in the developing world was still a challenge.

Ahmad Humaid Al Mazroui, Chairman of the UAE Red Crescent Authority, said: "The UAE has always been the right place for events that focus on people in need and misfortune."

He pointed out that the UAE ranked first in reference to the number of donations compared to its gross national product (GNP) among the countries who are not members of the Development Assistance Committee of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.

"This achievement shows that the UAE foreign aid is committed towards suffering people and is diligent to provide all the help required," he said.

With more than 275 exhibitors representing government and non-government organisations, charity organisations, healthcare sector, medical equipment suppliers and temporary hospitals, DIHAD is considered the largest humanitarian annual event in the MENA region.