ABU DHABI // There can be no peace or development without women.
That was the simple message from Dr Ebtisam Al Ketbi, the chairwoman of the Emirates Police Centre, on the opening day of the Arab-Chinese Women’s Forum in the capital on Tuesday.
Dr Al Ketbi said the achievements of the UAE’s women were the result of its leadership’s vision and commitment towards the empowerment of women.
She said that when the region was facing so many challenges, women should be involved in the decision-making process to make the region stable.
The forum is being held under the patronage of Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, the president of the General Women’s Union, supreme chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation, and president of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood.
It is the first official women’s forum between the governments of the UAE and China, and was attended by senior diplomats, officials, female entrepreneurs and businesswomen from both countries.
In her opening speech Sheikha Fatima called for more mutual strategic cooperation in the field of women’s economic empowerment, through joint-investment projects and projects to develop human resources, support for women’s capabilities, provision of technical and practical training opportunities for women, and the creation of support for small and medium businesses in both countries.
“We hope that it will benefit from the experiences and expertise exchanged between the Arab and Chinese women’s associations, applying what has been learnt from these exchanges in real life in all fields of development, especially, in the fields of social and economic development and women’s economic empowerment,” read a speech given on Sheikha Fatima’s behalf by Reem Al Falasi, the secretary general of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood.
A video message from Ban Ki-moon, the secretary general of the United Nations, thanked the UAE and Sheikha Fatima for playing a significant role in empowering women, not just in the Arab region but across the world.
Other speakers highlighted how women from both the UAE and China have worked hard and succeeded in achieving empowerment for women.
Ms Mu Hong, the director general of the international liaison department of the All China Women Federation, traced the history of women’s empowerment in China after 1949 and said that gender equality has always been a priority for China, where women represented 47 per cent of the country’s 660 million population.
Ms Guo Li, a shoe designer, travelled to the forum from Jilin, a northern city in China.
“The UAE is a great market for entrepreneurs. Being a businesswoman I have learnt a lot from the conference and found that I can expand my business here in the region,” she said.
Ms Guo, who runs her shoe factory in Jilin, employs more than 3,000 women.
“I am happy that I attended the conference, because I learnt a lot about this place and found lots of mutual business opportunities,” she said.
Princess Fay Jahan Ara, the president of the Asian Arab Chamber of Commerce, said the forum presented an excellent opportunity for the participants to understand each other.
“Women of both countries have made exceptionally inspiring contributions towards their country and society. Now we should use this opportunity and consolidate ideas shared and discussed during the conference, and take this partnership to another level,” she said.
akhaishgi@thenational.ae
