Manal bint Mohammed thanks UAE leadership for the success of GWFD 2020

Her Highness Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of the UAE Gender Balance Council, President of Dubai Women Establishment, and wife of HH Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, expressed her  gratitude to the UAE President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan; His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai; and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, for supporting women and giving them the opportunity to contribute to the UAE’s development journey.

She also thanked HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women's Union, President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, and Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation, for enabling women to serve the nation in various fields. She also thanked HH Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, for his support and keenness to follow up on various reports related to gender balance achievements.

Sheikha Manal said the leadership’s support for women and government initiatives to empower women have sprung from the UAE’s ambitious vision to raise their contribution to various sectors. The UAE has become an inspirational model for women’s empowerment regionally and globally. She said the UAE is poised to start a new chapter in supporting women’s advancement locally, regionally and globally.

Sheikha Manal’s remarks came at the conclusion of Global Women’s Forum Dubai 2020, held over the last two days under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

“There is no doubt that the UAE leadership’s huge support has played an instrumental role in the resounding success of the UAE’s women empowerment journey, which was started by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. The UAE has become a model not only for the Arab world but also for nations that seek to empower women and promote their participation in all spheres of life,” Sheikha Manal said.

“Over the last two days, we heard inspiring stories from prominent women personalities on what should be done to open the door for women to participate with men in the journey of progress. Participants in the Forum were introduced to several new ideas and approaches for helping women play a larger role in their communities.”

She also expressed the hope that the Forum will catalyse greater exchange of expertise and ideas for maximising women’s contribution to sustainable development. She said supporting women shouldn’t be limited to the economic domain, and should address all areas critical to their wellbeing including healthcare and education.

The second edition of the Global Women’s Forum Dubai 2020, organised by the Dubai Women Establishment under the theme ‘The Power of Influence’, highlighted dynamic women across governments and the business world, as well as their significant impact and valuable contributions across the global economy and society.

The GWFD focused on the importance of adopting policies and building partnerships that heighten women’s role and influence in four main focus areas: government, economy, society and future. Each of the four areas were addressed in extensive sessions led by local and global speakers and experts from various sectors.