By Rafiq Vayani
DUBAI: Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry recently hosted a special seminar to celebrate Emirati Women’s Day 2019 which was held under the slogan “Women: Icons of Tolerance”, putting the spotlight on successful Emirati women in business and recent progress made by the UAE on gender equality.
The event, organised by the Chamber’s Centre for Responsible Business, was attended by H.E. Hisham Al Shirawi, 2nd Vice Chairman of Dubai Chamber, Emirati women entrepreneurs and businesswomen, Dubai Chamber senior officials and employees, in addition to members of the local business community.
During his welcome speech, H.E. Al Shirawi described Emirati Women’s Day as a special occasion for Dubai Chamber and lauded the important contributions made by women to the UAE, as well as the invaluable role that they play in the country’s economy and society.
H.E. Al Shirawi lauded the growing representation of women in the UAE’s Federal National Council this year and described this development as “an incredible achievement and a sign of progress that positions the UAE as a leading example for gender equality on the world stage.”
“Despite rapid progress on women empowerment, the UAE’s leadership continues to raise the bar by introducing policies and initiatives to support women and encourage their participation in the economy, such as the Gender Balance Index, regulation on equal pay and efforts to increase the number of women on company boards,” said H.E. Al Shirawi.
He noted that Dubai Chamber has long been a strong supporter of women empowerment and women in business, and pointed out that the Dubai Business Women Council was launched under the umbrella of Dubai Chamber seventeen years ago, adding that the Council grown considerably since then with more than 800 members now benefitting from the networking and knowledge sharing platform.
In addition, Dubai Chamber’s Centre for Responsible Business has made Emiratization and women empowerment a key focus of its programmes, initiatives and activities. The Centre’s Task Force on Emiratization, launched under the Dubai Chamber Sustainability Network, is playing a crucial role in involving Emirati women in the agenda of social and economic development in line with UAE Vision 2021.
H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women’s Union, President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, and Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation, declared August 28th as the Emirati Women’s Day to celebrate the birth of the General Women’s Union and recognise the important role played by women in supporting the UAE’s progress and development.
