PROMOTION OF EMPOWERMENT PROJECTS FOR UAE WOMEN

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 001214 SIPDIS STATE FOR DRL, NEA/ARP, NEA/PI, NEA/PPD, R, ECA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV KDEM KWMN KMPI AE SUBJECT: PROMOTION OF EMPOWERMENT PROJECTS FOR UAE WOMEN REF: 05 ABU DHABI 2782 ¶1. DURING THE PAST TWO WEEKS, THE UAE HAS ANNOUNCED SEVERAL PROJECTS TO EMPOWER UAE WOMEN IN THE POLITICAL, ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL FIELDS. THESE INITIATIVES ARE AIMED AT CREATING BETTER OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN TO OCCUPY LEADERSHIP POSITIONS IN ALL SECTORS OF THE SOCIETY, ESPECIALLY IN THE POLITICAL STREAM AS THE UAE NEARS ITS FIRST ELECTIONS FOR THE FEDERAL NATIONAL COUNCIL (FNC). ¶2. AT THE DIRECTION OF SHEIKHA FATIMA, WIDOW OF THE LATE PRESIDENT SHEIKH ZAYED, THE GENERAL WOMEN'S UNION (GWU),IN CONJUNCTION WITH UNDP AND THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT, LAUNCHED THE REGION'S FIRST "NATIONAL GENDER MAINSTREAMING" CAMPAIGN. THIS TWO-YEAR INITIATIVE AIMS TO CREATE GENDER-SENSITIVE INTERNAL POLICIES WITHIN THE GWU AND ITS ORGANIZATIONS, AS WELL AS WITHIN OTHER GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS, IN ORDER TO RAISE THE STATUS OF WOMEN IN EVERY SECTOR OF THE SOCIETY. ¶3. ACCORDING TO ONE OF THE PROJECT ORGANIZERS AT GWU, THE FIRST PHASE OF THIS TWO-YEAR PROJECT WILL IDENTIFY AND TRAIN EIGHT UAE WOMEN FROM GWU AND A NUMBER OF GOVERNMENT MINISTRIES TO BECOME GENDER MAINSTREAMING TRAINERS IN EIGHT SECTORS: EDUCATION, ECONOMY, MEDIA, SOCIAL AFFAIRS, LEGISLATION, ENVIRONMENT, HEALTH AND POLITICAL PARTICIPATION. THE MAIN CHALLENGE FACING THESE WOMEN IS TO GET GOVERNMENT COOPERATION TO ALLOW THEIR STAFF TO BE TRAINED IN GENDER DEVELOPMENT ISSUES, AND TO ADOPT MORE GENDER-SENSITIVE POLICIES. THE GWU ORGANIZER TOLD POL ASST THAT ABU DHABI CROWN PRINCE SHEIKH MOHAMMED BIN ZAYED HAS ENDORSED THIS INITIATIVE. ¶4. GWU, IN CONJUNCTION WITH UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT FUND FOR WOMEN (UNIFEM),ALSO LAUNCHED THE FIRST TRAINING SESSION OF THE THREE-YEAR ARAB WOMEN PARLIAMENTARIANS PROJECT, INVOLVING 60 UAE WOMEN GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE SECTOR LEADERS (REFTEL). ON MARCH 14, THE MFA DIPLOMATIC INSTITUTE HELD THE FIRST TRAINING SESSION. SOME OF THE WOMEN PARTICIPANTS WERE GWU DIRECTOR GENERAL NOURA AL SUWEIDI, UAE RED CRESCENT AUTHORITY SECRETARY GENERAL SANA AL KITBI, MFA MINISTER PLENIPOTENTIARY HESSA OMRAN, BOARD MEMBERS OF THE ABU DHABI BUSINESSWOMEN COUNCIL, STAFF FROM SHEIKHA FATIMA'S PALACE AND THE PRESIDENTIAL AND CROWN PRINCE'S COURTS, AND STAFF FROM THE FNC. THE SAME TRAINING WILL BE HELD IN DUBAI AND THE NORTHERN EMIRATES. A SOURCE AT THE FNC TOLD POL ASST THAT ON MARCH 21, MANY OF THE SAME WOMEN ATTENDED TRAINING RUN BY THE FNC'S SECRETARY GENERAL ON FNC PREMISES. SISON