Charlize Theron spoke at Dubai's Global Educations & Skills Forum on Saturday and discussed women's rights, gun violence, the importance of an arts education and the #MeToo movement.
She touched upon how she has personally been affected by gun violence, and how the world is evolving due to activism around sexual assault and pay disparity, and how in her opinion the change will be permanent.
Here are some of the highlights from her talk...
On the #MeToo movement in Hollywood - are things getting better?
"Yes, I'm an optimist. I think we all have to be. It's sometimes hard... but I think that it's undeniable what's happening with this women's movement right now, and how incredibly active it is. And whatever the catalyst was... we all have different opinions of what the catalyst was... I don't care, as long as this conversation continues.
"I think the numbers of women who have found strength and a voice to be able to speak about what's happened to them, things that they have seen, things that they have experienced, is just too powerful for this to not have caused change.
"And so I can definitely tell you that in my industry, hands down, people are thinking differently, they're talking differently, their awareness is at a level that it's never been before. And I just don't see how we can move backwards from that... we can only move forwards."
On the gender pay gap in Hollywood
"Women are asking for transparency... I think we always knew it existed but I think we were in denial about how extreme the numbers and the discrepancies were."
"I can tell you that there's been a fire lit with women in my industry, and I'm proud to be witnessing it, and I'm proud to be lighting that fire with them, and I think the nicest thing about all of it is that women are realising that this is crossing borders, this is crossing nationalities, this is crossing industries. This is not just a Hollywood thing anymore."
On her work to battle the HIV epidemic in South Africa
She talked about the Charlize Theron African Outreach Project, which she launched in 2007.
She said she was very aware of the devastation of the AIDS epidemic "from a very young age".
"South Africa is the hardest hit when it comes to HIV in the world... we lost an entire generation of parents from AIDS." Her organisation works on prevention via grassroots organisations that are embedded in the hardest hit communities in South Africa. Her organisation is also launching a scholarship fund next year, because, as she pointed out, it's impossible to prevent HIV without education.
"The thing that's very important for me is to get people to work together, that's one of my biggest drivers with CTAOP, is to look at people who are doing all the work already, and what would happen if they had access to more tools, to more money. How do you connect what they're doing with maybe another grassroots organisation?"
On the suggestion that teachers should be armed with guns in the US
She initially spoke about how inspirational the outspoken survivors of the Parkland school shooting in Florida are (some of who were also at the conference):
"I'm so happy to finally see the youth take ownership with their voice about what's going on with gun control in America, since they are the ones affected by it, one hundred per cent. I'm incredibly proud when I see these kids on CNN and BBC, travelling the world, talking about their own experiences... and they're the ones coming up with solutions. And I hope politicians are hearing that conversation... it is our duty to support them.
"I will only say, let's listen to our kids. I don't think any one of those kids said that [arming teachers] was the solution, and I'm going with the kids on this one. I have a very personal experience with gun violence. I lost my father to gun violence and I just don't understand when people try to make the argument that the fix is more guns. It's so outrageous to me, but it also makes complete sense when you look at the policies that are in place and you look at the support and where it's going, and where the finances are coming from. People are in bed with each other that shouldn't be in bed with each other."
On her primary school experience
"My lower school experience was great. I grew up in a very rural part of South Africa... and so there was only one school. That was your choice. And there were about 500 kids. It was this little school built in a dirt field, some kids didn't even wear shoes to school. It was poor, but I think nobody in that school ever felt poor because of the teachers. When you're in an environment where your life is being enriched in other ways... you don't feel like you're lacking."
On what the world will be like in 2030
"I am an optimist. I wake up in the morning and my attitude is, whatever is not working, we need to fix. I have two little kids in my house that inspire me on a daily basis to go out and be part of that fight. I hope that we can get to a place where an estimated 98 million kids, most of them girls, can be in school. If we can solve that... invest in that... then I'm very optimistic about the future. We may actually solve poverty, we'll solve HIV for sure and we'll have healthier communities.
"What are we really saying when we don't educate young girls around the world? Millions and millions of them. We're saying that they're not worth it. That we don't value them. So when you start looking at Me Too and all of these movements, we have to go a little bit further back, and we have to solve it before we get to this place where women are already in the workplace and are being harassed. You stop that by getting society to value women more. We value them if we educate them. We value them by giving them equal pay... through our actions."
You can watch Charlize's full Dubai talk here:
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Read more:
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Opinion: The humanities help us understand our actions and reimagine our reality
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What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
Honeymoonish
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Profile of Udrive
Date started: March 2016
Founder: Hasib Khan
Based: Dubai
Employees: 40
Amount raised (to date): $3.25m – $750,000 seed funding in 2017 and a Seed round of $2.5m last year. Raised $1.3m from Eureeca investors in January 2021 as part of a Series A round with a $5m target.
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Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
World Series
Game 1: Red Sox 8, Dodgers 4
Game 2: Red Sox 4, Dodgers 2
Game 3: Saturday (UAE)
* if needed
Game 4: Sunday
Game 5: Monday
Game 6: Wednesday
Game 7: Thursday
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
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Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
RESULTS
5pm: Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Racing Festival Purebred Arabian Cup Conditions (PA) Dh 200,000 (Turf) 1,600m
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5.30pm: Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Cup Conditions (PA) Dh 200,000 (T) 1,600m
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6pm: Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan National Day Cup Listed (TB) Dh 380,000 (T) 1,600m
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6.30pm: Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan National Day Group 3 (PA) Dh 500,000 (T) 1,600m
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7pm: Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan National Day Jewel Crown Group 1 (PA) Dh 5,000,000 (T) 2,200m
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7.30pm: Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Racing Festival Handicap (PA) Dh 150,000 (T) 1,400m
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8pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh 100,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner: AF Alareeq, Connor Beasley, Ahmed Al Mehairbi
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
PROFILE OF HALAN
Started: November 2017
Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport and logistics
Size: 150 employees
Investment: approximately $8 million
Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar
Company info
Company name: Entrupy
Co-founders: Vidyuth Srinivasan, co-founder/chief executive, Ashlesh Sharma, co-founder/chief technology officer, Lakshmi Subramanian, co-founder/chief scientist
Based: New York, New York
Sector/About: Entrupy is a hardware-enabled SaaS company whose mission is to protect businesses, borders and consumers from transactions involving counterfeit goods.
Initial investment/Investors: Entrupy secured a $2.6m Series A funding round in 2017. The round was led by Tokyo-based Digital Garage and Daiwa Securities Group's jointly established venture arm, DG Lab Fund I Investment Limited Partnership, along with Zach Coelius.
Total customers: Entrupy’s customers include hundreds of secondary resellers, marketplaces and other retail organisations around the world. They are also testing with shipping companies as well as customs agencies to stop fake items from reaching the market in the first place.
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UAE jiu-jitsu squad
Men: Hamad Nawad and Khalid Al Balushi (56kg), Omar Al Fadhli and Saeed Al Mazroui (62kg), Taleb Al Kirbi and Humaid Al Kaabi (69kg), Mohammed Al Qubaisi and Saud Al Hammadi (70kg), Khalfan Belhol and Mohammad Haitham Radhi (85kg), Faisal Al Ketbi and Zayed Al Kaabi (94kg)
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Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
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Transmission: Single-speed automatic
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On sale: Now