Emirati women contribute over 600,000 hours of voluntary work

ABU DHABI, 30th August, 2017 (WAM) -- Emirati women have contributed 600,000 hours of field and online voluntary activities in the last seven years under the Zayed Giving Initiative (ZGI), according to a report issued by the nation's flagship community-driven humanitarian work programme to mark the Emirati Women's Day, which falls on 28th August of every year. The report recognised the positive role being played by women in promoting and supporting voluntary and charitable work locally and globally. ''Emirati woman have proven their merit as trendsetters in the local and international humanitarian and voluntary works. They have engaged in creative initiatives in the service of humanity,'' the report added. ''The UAE leadership created the favourable conditions for empowering women to play their aspired role in all fields, mainly voluntary and charitable works,'' the report noted. The report praised H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women's Union, Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation and President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, for her pivotal role in efforts aimed at the development and empowerment of women and for launching local and international humanitarian initiatives, the latest of which was the Fatima bint Mubarak Voluntary Programme. Female's participation in the ZGI's mobile and field hospitals had alleviated the suffering of over 6 million children and elderly people in the UAE, Egypt, Sudan, Jordan, Syria, Haiti, Tanzania, Somalia, India, Morocco, Lebanon, Pakistan, Indonesia and others. Dr. Adel Al Shamri, CEO of ZGI, said Emirati woman had made remarkable humanitarian and voluntary achievements which reached millions of people across the world. ''They have set examples for giving, social cohesion and voluntary work,'' he added. The e-voluntary programme of the Zayed Giving Initiative is aimed at integrating the latest technology to inculcate the culture of giving and volunteering among the various segments of society. The programme provides volunteers with an opportunity to dedicate their IT skills for voluntary work.