Women's rights in UAE based on reality of partnership between women and men: Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi

SHARJAH, 22nd March, 2016 (WAM) -- Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, wife of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah, Chairperson of Nama Women Advancement Establishment, has said that women's rights in the UAE have been based on the reality of partnership between women and men to achieve social and economic stability for both the family and the community. In her keynote speech at the third session of the fifth International Government Communication Forum, IGCF 2016, which is currently underway at the Expo Centre Sharjah, she said, "Through this forum, we hope to contribute to developing mechanisms of communication on both the governmental and social level. We also hope to support women and enhance the vital role they play in their communities." Here is the full text of her speech. "A few days ago, the world celebrated International Women's Day. The event was a global show of appreciation for the many roles that women play. It emphasised the importance of the continued advancement of the status of women. Women's rights in the UAE have been based on the reality of partnership between women and men to achieve social and economic stability for both the family and the community. With the development that the UAE has seen since its establishment, the supreme leadership's confidence has increased in the abilities of Emirati women, and in our contribution to the country's growth. We still remember the wise words of the founding father of the UAE, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, May God rest his soul in peace. His words live in our memory, consciences and hearts, inspiring us to do better. Sheikh Zayed is a role model for the men in the country who follow in his footsteps and stand by their mothers, sisters, wives and daughters in their every fruitful effort. The approach taken by the leadership strongly supports women, preserves their status and enhances the role they play in developing society. Sharjah was the first emirate to provide education for women and ever since has strived towards broader horizons in serving humankind. This is because the wealth of any society is its human capital. Drawing on the strengths of our human capital, we have achieved major milestones on all levels. As women, we have participated in our country's development on an equal footing alongside our male partners, benefiting from our rights in education, work and equal opportunities and salaries. Sharjah prides itself on the appointment of the first two female ministers in the UAE Government. Women succeeded in securing five seats in the Sharjah Consultative Council in 2001 in the first experience of women's parliamentary participation. Women's seats have increased over the time with their role in public life evolving greatly. We now have a woman holding the post of Speaker of the Federal National Council and also the Speaker of the Sharjah Consultative Council. Women enjoy high profile positions and managerial posts in government organisations and departments, not only in the educational and social fields, but also in the cultural, scientific and construction sectors. There numerous achievements and success are the fruits of the great trust the leader of the humanitarian and development project placed in women, His Highness Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, who strongly believes in the ability of women to contribute to the nation with dedication. He is the inspirational figure who gave us the opportunity to work in creative fields and to participate in community building. He empowers us, enables us to shoulder our responsibilities and allows us to perform our duties perfectly. When Sharjah was named the first baby-friendly city-this was not borne out of a void. The emirate is home to 14 children's centres dedicated to developing children's personalities and shaping their behaviour to help them achieve independence. The emirate has many workplace nurseries that were set up to help working mothers. Sharjah has increased maternity leave to 90 days in appreciation of the important role that working women play. Sharjah also believes in the need to care for the health of women, as their huge array of responsibilities requires them being physically and mentally well. To this effect, the Breastfeeding Friends Association was established, providing concrete evidence of the importance of children's nutrition at the early stages of their lives and educate and train women on how to adopt what is good for their children's health. Sharjah's Ruler supports the Pink Caravan, which travels around the UAE helping and supporting women and girls with breast cancer and enabling women to have medical check-ups. The Pink Caravan acts as a mobile clinic and an important awareness initiative to help reduce the incidence of breast cancer in our community. Another highlight of Sharjah's concern for women followed the Sharjah census of 2015, the results of which revealed that there were many abandoned women living in a state of loneliness. These in-need women were highlighted in the media, with His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah quoted as saying, "I will not leave those suppressed women living in this situation and I tell each one of them. They are my daughters. I will bring justice to them and give them a beautiful life better than the one she had with the man who abandoned her." This special attention given to women’s work, creativity, health and wellness, does not conflict with attention given to men in our Emirati society. We, in the UAE, are one family moving toward far-reaching goals and targets. We are doing this together under the leadership of rulers who believe that human beings are a wealth that should not squandered but instead provided with all the necessary requirements to ensure they have a dignified and stable life within a safe environment. Sharjah is home to numerous social service foundations that receive direct support from His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah and from me, personally. This stems from our belief that the best achievement a leader can give to their people is ensuring that they enjoy the best living conditions taking into consideration their circumstances and needs. Among these organisations is the Supreme Council for Family Affairs, which serves as an umbrella under which other entities dedicated to serving all community segments fall. In addition to women and children, the Supreme Council for Family Affairs caters to teenagers, people with disabilities, the elderly and patients for whom friendly associations were allocated. We also have patient’s friends’ associations to care for those suffering from diseases such as cancer, diabetes, kidney failure, rheumatoid arthritis. There are more than 1,500 employees, with women constituting 80% of the workface of these entities. Emirati women, particularly those from Sharjah, enjoy intensive social care as part of this process. So we can see Emirati women working in various professions and in entrepreneurship and in cultural and creative fields. Women can be seen in leadership positions in politics and academia. In addition to these professional achievements, she is also the mother at home. This is the UAE. As I said to my accompanying delegation during my participation in the international campaign "HeForShe" at the UN Headquarters in New York, women across the world need a strong voice and one who believes in them, as our leaders in the UAE. I made this comment after a speech delivered by the UN Secretary-General, when he described the sufferings and challenges facing millions of women deprived of their rights around the world. Believing that I needed to put words into practice, I launched the Nama Women Advancement Establishment, which aims to support and empower women and elevate their status in the present and the future, both in the Emirate of Sharjah and the wider world. Nama aspires to go beyond the scope of supporting women and ensuring gender equality and push for them to become influential key members of society, enabling them to climb the ladder of success in all sectors. At Nama, we work to provide global programmes based on full partnerships between men and women, with the view that women are essential and pivotal members of society. Women are important human capital necessary in the process of development and Nama pushes to move beyond the stage of integration to that of advancement. In doing so, we want to establish societies that believe in women and the need to tap into their capabilities and intellect, seeing them as a precious human capital that has not yet received optimal investment. I look forward to working in cooperation with international organisations to achieve the goals of the Nama Women Advancement Establishment so that we can create a world of integrated roles for women and men. – Emirates News Agency, WAM - http://www.wam.ae/en/news/emirates/1395293153263.html