General Women's Union: Clear Footprints In Women's Empowerment Journey, Initiatives For Environmental Sustainability

ABU DHABI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 07th Jun, 2023) The UAE’s efforts to empower women are an integral part of its strategy to empower both male and female citizens without discrimination, as stated in the country's constitution established by the Founding Fathers.

The UAE’s leadership recognised the importance of gender equality and made it an inseparable part of the national vision and agenda to protect and guarantee women's rights in all areas.

H.H. 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), has supported all strategies since the establishment of the GWU in 1975, to overcome obstacles and activate Emirati women's participation in various sectors, enabling them to reap the rewards of their current achievements and gains.

Education is one of the most crucial pillars for the success of Emirati women, following the adoption of laws and regulations that govern the rights and obligations of society’s members.

In this regard, current education indicators highlight quantitative and qualitative improvements, enabling the UAE to achieve the first position in the Arab world and sixth globally regarding pre-university education quality.

This positive development has significantly impacted women's empowerment in education. Women occupy nearly half the spots in engineering colleges, with 65 percent of students in information technology colleges being females. In comparison, women account for 46 percent of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics graduates.

Furthermore, the proportion of female graduates in science and technology has reached 50.7 percent. In comparison, the literacy rate of females in the country is 95.8 percent, with 95 percent of female high school graduates enrolling in higher education, compared to 80 percent for males. Moreover, females constitute between 80 percent and 90 percent of the total number of students at UAE University and Zayed University, respectively.

Women's empowerment has undergone several stages, culminating in appointing the first female minister in 2004. Since then, the number of women holding ministerial positions has increased from one to ten ministers in the latest cabinet reshuffle in 2023, accounting for 28.5 percent of the total of 35 ministers.

The female ministers are responsible for important portfolios, such as advanced technology, government and future development, youth affairs, food and water security, as well as other crucial areas, including community development, culture and the youth, public education and international cooperation.

In addition to these achievements, Emirati women have made significant strides in the field of advanced sciences and actively contributed to the space sector, with their participation in the Emirates Mars Mission reaching 50 percent of the leadership team.

According to a report by INSEAD, the UAE ranked fourth globally in the “Female Opportunity Index.” Female engineers constituted 34 percent of specialist scientists and professionals working on the Hope Probe, while Emirati women's participation in the probe’s scientific team reached 80 percent. Furthermore, the percentage of women participating in the UAE's peaceful nuclear programme exceeds 20 percent, surpassing figures from other peaceful energy programmes worldwide.

These facts highlight Emirati women's remarkable progress in advanced sciences and their active involvement in the peaceful nuclear energy sector.

Emirati women also work for Strata Manufacturing, a company that specialises in producing aircraft structures, where they constitute 90 percent of the national workforce. Most notably, within the production area, 21 out of 34 team leaders are Emirati women responsible for leading various production teams, ensuring the production and delivery of aircraft structures according to agreed-upon timelines with major international aviation companies, such as Airbus and Boeing.

The GWU has left a clear mark on the journey of women's empowerment since its establishment due to the directives of Sheikha Fatima.

The union has introduced many related initiatives while ensuring that its annual initiatives and programmes align with the changing needs of women, government directives and the latest global practices in women's empowerment.

For example, its activities in 2023 are aligned with the country's theme, “Year of Sustainability,” with Sheikha Fatima launching the theme for Emirati Women's Day, “We Collaborate for Tomorrow,” to affirm that Emirati women are strategic partners in achieving environmental sustainability for future generations.

Among the GWU’s notable sustainability initiatives is the "Sustainable Housing Initiative", which was launched on 14th February, 2023, and involved a series of workshops and dialogue sessions aimed at building women's capacities regarding the concept of sustainability, as well as enhancing their role in promoting sustainable environmental practices at home, and instilling sustainability values among family members.

The initiative also aims to empower women to address environmental challenges and create future generations who are conscious of reducing their environmental footprint and mitigating the effects of climate change.

Another related initiative is the Economic Empowerment Programme for the Transition to a Green Economy, which will be launched in June and involve a series of training workshops for girls and women who aspire to be entrepreneurs, as well as for female entrepreneurs seeking to advance their existing projects and transition to eco-friendly businesses.

The programme also aims to build their capacities in entrepreneurship, with a specific focus on environmentally-friendly options. It is expected to play a key role in enhancing the awareness of female entrepreneurs regarding the concept of the green economy, improving their understanding of social responsibility, and promoting sustainable practices within their businesses, especially in terms of environmental sustainability and innovative approaches to entrepreneurship, to reduce the environmental footprint of women-led projects and address the effects of climate change.

The GWU’s initiatives also include the “My Land and Palm, My Secret to Launch and Success” initiative, in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Police General Headquarters, which aims to teach inmates the necessary skills to establish agricultural projects and reintegrate them as active members of society.

The initiative also aims to give the inmates a fresh start towards a more secure and stable future for their families and the entire community.

Another initiative, titled “My Self-Sufficient Farming,” was launched in late 2015 and aims to encourage women to engage in home farming and empower them to achieve self-reliance in basic food production.

The initiative has helped increase green spaces at people’s homes, and instils agricultural values among women and their families, therefore, supporting the implementation of food security strategies by building women's capacities and equipping them with innovative agricultural skills.

Additionally, the GWU launched the “Farming Houses for Juveniles” initiative in collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Police General Headquarters and the Juvenile Welfare Centre.

It also launched the Initiative to Empower Africa's Rural Women in Agricultural Sector, in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the Emirates Red Crescent (ERC) and the UN Women UAE Liaison Office for the GCC, to train rural women in select African countries in agriculture and suitable mechanisms and to address the effects of climate change while providing them with economic returns. The project aims to train 10,000 women.

The "Handicrafts" initiative, organised by the GWU’s Women’s Handicrafts Centre, collects natural products and recycles them to produce Emirati heritage products, therefore, preserving the UAE's heritage by recycling some natural resources.

Lastly, the "Positive Energy" initiative was launched in collaboration with the UAE Women's Sports Federation and includes a series of sports activities and dialogue sessions aimed at promoting physical and mental health and reducing the impact of climate change on women's health.

The initiative’s objective is to raise awareness about the value and importance of physical activity in safeguarding the health and safety of society, in general, and women, in particular.