Today's Edition
Mays Ibrahim (ABU DHABI)
The UAE sets a regional and global example in women’s economic empowerment, Dr Moez Doraid, UN Women Regional Director a.i. for the Arab States, said in an interview with Aletihad on the sidelines of the EmpowerHer Conference.
Held at the General Women’s Union in Abu Dhabi, the one-day event celebrated the launch of the ‘Accelerating Women’s Economic Empowerment in Africa and Latin America’ component of the UAE-UN Women Strategic Partnership Framework (2024-2027).
In his keynote, Dr. Doraid thanked Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, the Mother of the Nation, for her unwavering support and tireless efforts in championing women's issues across local, regional, and global arenas. Her Highness is also the 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).
“The conference embodies our shared commitment to placing women's empowerment at the heart of economic transformation,” Dr. Doraid said.
Last year, the UAE and UN Women signed a strategic partnership framework, with the UAE committing $15 million over three and a half years to advance gender-focused initiatives.
This framework aims to support the UAE’s adoption of a foreign policy centered around the women empowerment, Dr. Doraid said.
“This cooperation also builds upon the national priorities of the UAE, which include women, peace, security, climate change, economic empowerment, and gender equality in general.”
The ‘Accelerating Women’s Economic Empowerment in Africa and Latin America’ initiative under this framework starts with a pilot in both Chile and Kenya.
The Emirati Experience
“Women economic empowerment is central to women's empowerment overall. The UAE has been a pioneer in this regard,” Dr. Doraid said.
The country’s progress in strengthening women's economic empowerment is evident in increased participation in the labour market, expanded access to leadership roles, and the implementation of sustainable gender-based policies, he added.
“At the national level, Emirati women have advanced considerably in terms of building capabilities through education, and this has been followed by increased participation in economic and political fields. The UAE now ranks first in the Arab World in the gender gap index issued by the World Economic Forum.”
The Emirati experience sets a model from which to draw lessons and experiences to cross-fertilize knowledge across the Arab region and globally to advance women’s economic empowerment, Dr. Doraid said.
He cited the findings of a report recently released by the UN Women and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) during the Arab Forum for Sustainable Development in Beirut.
Titled Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals: A Gender Snapshot of the Arab Region 2024, the report revealed that just one in five women in the Arab region (20%) is employed or actively seeking work, while the global average stands at 49%.
This persistent gender gap comes at a high economic cost, estimated at $575 billion annually in lost GDP, according to Dr. Doraid.
To counter this, UN Women aims to raise women's labour force participation in the region from 20% to 25% within five years – a move that could boost the region’s GDP by over 20%.
However, not all is bleak in the region, Dr. Doraid said. Arab countries have the highest female enrollment in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields.
This growth is seen as a promising sign for the region’s economic future, particularly in innovation-driven industries.
