"Women's rights in the UAE have been based on the reality of partnership between women and men to achieve social and economic stability for both the family and the community," said H.H. Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, wife of H.H. the Ruler of Sharjah, Chairperson of Nama Women Advancement Establishment, in lauding the positive progress and achievements of women in Sharjah.

She added: "With the development that the UAE has seen since its establishment, the supreme leadership's confidence has increased in the abilities of Emirati women, and in our contribution to the country's growth."

She comments were made in her keynote speech at the third session of the fifth International Government Communication Forum (IGCF 2016), which is currently underway at the Expo Centre Sharjah.

Titled ‘The Woman Citizen’, the session discussed the role of women in society and the importance of engaging them as proactive drivers of change and contributors to the economy. Offering case studies highlighting the role of government communication in elevating the status of women in society, the conversation shared best practices of women in leadership and acknowledged women who have achieved desirable change in their communities or within the workforce.

Moderated by Muna Abu Sulayman, media personality from MBC, the session drew the participation of Helen Clark, Administrator of the UN Development Programme and Prime Minister of New Zealand (1999-2008), Tina Brown, journalist, founder of Women in the World and CEO of Tina Brown Live Media, Dr Sakena Yacoobi, President and Executive Director of the Afghan Institute of Learning (AIL), and Lawrence Chickering, Founder and President of Educate Girls Globally.

Helen Clark, who reached the highest status a woman can ever hope to achieve in the political sector in New Zealand, reiterated that a country cannot realise its sustainable goals if women are left behind. Clark stated that it is crucial for women to claim leadership roles for two key reasons: first, young girls will look at female leaders as role models and strive to achieve more from a younger age; second, the only way to bring about change that impacts women on a societal level – such as longer parental leave, equal job opportunities and equal pay – is for women to assume leadership roles in politics.

Clark added: "The right and smart thing for the world to do is to promote equal status of women. It is up to us to not kick the ladder away, but keep it for the rest of women, for the younger generation of women, to climb that ladder."

In empowering tribal girls in remote areas in India through the Educate Girls Globally programme, Lawrence Chickering said: "Assets are people. The programme empowered the girls at first, but young girls took ownership. The only currency that was needed was empowerment."

Dr Sakena Yacoobi, who is putting her efforts into establishing the first university in Afghanistan, stated that the talks of citizenship and female leadership can be discussed in depth only after educating women.

She said: "We need to educate young women to let them know about the rights they are entitled to. We need to establish a school curriculum that would enable them to understand issues of human rights, government, and female leadership."

On the issue of educating women, Tina Brown pointed out: "Men fear educating women because they know that when you educate women, nothing will stop them."

Asserting the importance of communication, Brown said that a platform, such as the Women in the World summit, is critical for drawing the media’s attention to women who live behind the headlines. She said the media is an important tool for these women to share their messages worldwide, to be introduced to potential supporters and donors, and to build network for future cooperation.

Themed ‘Citizens for Prosperity’, IGCF 2016 focuses on the symbiotic relationship between governments and their people, and explores how government communication touches different aspects of people’s everyday life either directly or indirectly through its impact on vital socio-economic sectors. The sectors in focus include education, health care, unemployment, and poverty eradication, among others.

Source : WAM