Sheikh Mohammed attends opening of Global Women’s Forum Dubai 2024

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, attended the opening of the third edition of the Global Women’s Forum Dubai 2024, which commenced on Tuesday in Dubai.

Sheikh Maktoum Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, First Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance; and Sheikh Ahmed Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Second Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Media Council, attended the opening of the event which has brought together more than 6,000 participants including prominent international figures, ministers, senior officials, and representatives from international institutions and the private sector, all dedicated to advancing women's empowerment and promoting gender balance.

Sheikh Mohammed welcomed the forum’s participants, highlighting the forum's significance as a platform to advance dialogue on empowering women, and ensuring equitable opportunities.

Sheikh Mohammed commended international initiatives supporting women's empowerment and reaffirmed the UAE's commitment to advancing gender balance globally, guided by the visionary leadership of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Sheikh Mohammed also highlighted the significant local and international contributions of Her Highness Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak, Mother of the Nation, Chairwoman of the General Women's Union (GWU), President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, and Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation (FDF).

Expressing pride in the UAE's progress in the areas of women’s empowerment and gender balance, His Highness emphasised the nation’s unwavering belief in the potential of women and its commitment to providing support that empowers them to excel across all vital sectors.

He reaffirmed their role as equal partners in shaping the future, driven by talent and meaningful contributions.

The opening ceremony was also attended by Emine Erdogan, First Lady of the Republic of Turkey; Asifa Bhutto Zardari of Pakistan; and Louise Araneta Marcos, First Lady of the Philippines.

The opening session of the Global Women’s Forum Dubai 2024 was also attended by Sheikh Mansoor Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Sports Council; Sheikha Latifa Bint Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority; Saqr Ghobash, Speaker of the Federal National Council; along with ministers, senior officials, representatives of international organisations and institutions, department heads, and dignitaries.

On the occasion of the launch of the third edition of the Global Women’s Forum Dubai, Sheikha Manal Bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of the UAE Gender Balance Council, President of the Dubai Women Establishment, and wife of His Highness Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court, expressed her gratitude for the support of the UAE’s leadership, acknowledging that the global dialogue at the forum would not have been possible without their encouragement.

She emphasised the UAE's leadership role across all sectors and its strong position in advancing gender balance.

Sheikha Manal Bint Mohammed also emphasised that the forum was driven by the vision of Sheikh Mohammed, who believed in women’s potential to take on pivotal roles and responsibilities in advancing sustainable, inclusive development.

Sheikha Manal highlighted the UAE's efforts to forge impactful international partnerships, with the forum serving as a key platform for success. She further reaffirmed the UAE's commitment to working closely with global partners to turn agreements into concrete outcomes, empowering women to shape their communities' future and contribute to the nation’s growth.

Sheikha Manal also thanked the leadership for their continued support and praised the strong collaboration between the UAE Gender Balance Council and various sectors, which contributed to the UAE's swift progress in global competitiveness. She noted that the UAE had moved up to the 7th rank globally and 1st regionally in the 2024 Gender Equality Index, a significant improvement from 11th in 2022 and 49th in 2015.

Sheikh Mohammed also attended a keynote address by Emine Erdoğan, First Lady of the Republic of Turkey; in which she said that empowering women across the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and AI is imperative to support and reinforce gender equality in a world changing at an unprecedented pace thanks to advanced technology.

"As we move rapidly towards an uncertain future, we need a common road map more than ever. At this point, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations for 2030 serve as a guide. The basis of the goals lies in the following principle: Leaving No One Behind,” she said.

However, women who make up half of the world’s population, were still left behind with their share in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) at around 30 per cent, and in the case of Artificial Intelligence (AI), at only 26 per cent. Men and women are like the right and left feet of a body and one cannot progress without the other, the First Lady said, adding that "technologies in which women are not involved in the design and production processes cannot lead us to a better future.”

In this context she said that the comprehensive work of the Dubai Women Establishment is exemplary for the whole world.

"Emirati women are following in the footsteps of a visionary leader who paved the way for them years ago. Sheikha Fatima was one of the pioneers of her time, an exemplary figure who has proven how women can transform the world, starting from their own societies,” she said.

Calling the UAE as one of the most important cultural intersections in the world, she said the institutions founded by its visionary leaders, and the impact of the work they carried out have changed the lives of countless women today and become a source of courage and hope.

"Each of us has different traditions, beliefs, ideologies. Our countries have different agendas. Despite all these distinctions, we are aware of this fact, as humanity, we are all on the same ship, heading towards a common future,” she added.

The First Lady of Turkey commended Sheikh Mohammed for transforming the role of women, empowering them to succeed and attain top positions across sectors.

She also praised Sheikha Fatima, the Mother of the Nation, for her pioneering efforts in demonstrating how women can drive change, leaving a lasting impact on women's empowerment both regionally and globally.

The First Lady of the Republic of Turkey addressed global humanitarian crises, noting that over a billion people suffer from hunger, despite 1.3 billion tonnes of food being wasted every year.

She also highlighted the plight of more than 100 million displaced individuals, with nearly three-quarters of them seeking refuge in low-income countries.

Furthermore, she drew attention to the prolonged humanitarian crisis in Gaza, which has lasted for over a year, shedding light on the continued suffering of its people amid the international community's double standards in handling urgent and critical issues.

In her opening speech at the Global Women’s Forum Dubai 2024, Mona Ghanem Al Marri, Chairperson of the Board & Managing Director of the Dubai Women Establishment, emphasised that the UAE’s leading position in global and regional gender balance indicators is the result of a strong foundation laid by the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and reinforced by the leadership's firm belief in women's potential.

She highlighted that Emirati women have proven themselves worthy of this trust, representing the UAE proudly on the international stage in various fields.

She also noted that the UAE, under the continuous support and encouragement of its leadership, has moved from a phase of empowerment to one of amplifying women’s opportunities across vital sectors.

She credited the directives of Sheikh Mohammed in 2015 to establish the UAE Gender Balance Council, headed by Sheikha Manal, with setting a clear goal to position the UAE among the top 25 countries in the Gender Inequality Index 2024, issued by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

"Thanks to Sheikh Mohammed's continuous guidance, supportive legislation, and policies, the UAE has achieved 7th place globally and 1st regionally in this index, becoming a global reference for gender balance legislation."

She also reiterated the UAE's commitment to enhancing women’s status regionally and globally, ensuring the creation of conditions that allow women to shape the future without barriers or challenges.

She viewed the forum as a significant opportunity to strengthen dialogue, build partnerships, and affirm women’s role in achieving prosperity.

WAM