Dubai: His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, said that the UAE, inspired by the legacy of its founding fathers, has made major strides in supporting women by enacting legislation that reflects the importance of their role, and provides them opportunities to participate in the journey of development.
Sheikh Mohammed said the founding fathers considered the protection of women’s rights and interests a strategic objective, based on which the country introduced the legislations and regulations necessary to make the partnership between men and women a reality and not just a slogan.
Sheikh Mohammed’s remarks came as he attended the opening session of the Global Women’s Forum Dubai.
GWFD 2020, which is taking place at the Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai, under the patronage of Sheikh Mohammed, concludes on Monday.
“We are proud of what we have accomplished in the area of women’s growth and advancement. We look forward to more achievements as our objective is to lead the world in this field. We have full confidence in the ability of women to effectively contribute to the UAE’s efforts to lead in every sector. We continue to extend our support and remove all the hurdles that women face. We also seek to provide them with all that is required to achieve the highest level of excellence. Emirati women currently represent half of the Federal National Council. The successes of women in the UAE encourage us to share our expertise and success stories with other nations,” Sheikh Mohammed said.
Meanwhile, Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of the UAE Gender Balance Council, and President of Dubai Women Establishment, expressed her happiness at organising GWFD for the second time.
“The world gathered in Dubai to discuss ways to empower women. We were able to listen to creative ideas and inspiring experiences of prominent women entrepreneurs and role models. Their stories enhance the confidence of the international community in what can women can accomplish in various fields,” Sheikha Manal said.
She also said that the global gathering provided an opportunity to showcase what Emirati women have achieved, and the advanced levels the UAE has achieved in women’s participation in the development journey.
She expressed the hope that the Forum will provide a platform to discover more opportunities for international collaboration and streamline efforts to enable women to work closely with men so that all advancements required to ensure prosperity and progress can be realised.
