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