UAE working to promote rights of women: envoy

ISLAMABAD: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Ambassador for Pakistan, Hamad Obaid Ibrahim Al Zaabi, has maintained that his country is working in partnership with other countries and the United Nations to promote the rights of women and girls across the world.

The ambassador was speaking in a gathering of women here on Tuesday in connection with their empowerment.

The UAE Embassy, in accordance with the UAE’s humanitarian and developmental framework, launc­hed the women empowerment initiative under the title “Paving the way” in cooperation with the Aurat Foundation and the UN Women. The launching and distribution ceremony was held in the presence of representatives of the UN Women, Ehsaas Programme, Aurat Foundation and women from different walks of life.

Hamad Obaid Ibrahim Al Zaabi highlighted the role of women in the development of family and society and reminded that the UAE is fully committed to the promotion of women’s rights and considers the empowerment of women fundamental to the development of a modern and progressive society.

He said women participate on an equal basis in civil, economic and political life in the UAE. He recalled that according to the IMF World Competitiveness Yearbook 2020, the UAE ranked first in the female parliamentary representation index, as women comprise 50pc of the Federal National Council (FNC).

Women make up 34pc of the Emirates Mars Mission team that successfully launched “Hope Probe” to discover the red planet, which interred the Mars orbit last week. Sarah Al Amiri, the 33-year-old scientist, led the UAE’s Hope orbiter mission to Mars.

According to the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap, the UAE was one of the region’s best performing countries in gender equality. The UAE has donated over $26 million to the UN Women organisation since its founding in 2010 and ranked first in the Arab world and 10th globally in resource contribution in 2020. The UAE has also provided support to the women’s empowerment programmes through multilateral institutions. In 2016, the UAE opened a regional office for the UN Women in Abu Dhabi, the first in the region.

In November 2017, the UAE pledged $50 million to the World Bank’s Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative Fund. The ambassador highlighted the role and support of Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women’s Union of UAE, for women empowerment projects in Sindh and Balochistan and other numerous humanitarian projects est­ab­lished by Sheikha Jawaher Bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Big Heart Foundation, to support educational and vocational sectors for the Pakistani women and also for Afghan refugee women.

The ambassador thanked the Aurat Foundation and UN Women for supporting the women empowerment cause in Pakistan. The event concluded by distribution of sewing machines and other supplies to home-based workers with basic skills.