UAE Gender Balance Council Participates In G20 Women's Empowerment Meeting In Brazil

The United Arab Emirates Gender Balance Council participated in the G20 Women's Empowerment Working Group meeting in Brasília, Brazil. The discussions centered on issues such as women's equality, independence, fighting against misogyny and violence, and climate justice.

Hanan Ahli, a Board Member of the UAE Gender Balance Council and Director General of the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre, along with Secretary-General of the UAE Gender Balance Council Mouza Al Suwaidi, were in attendance, WAM reported.

The meeting brought together G20 nations and invited countries to share ideas and work together to address gender inequality and empower women. The UAE's participation in this group is part of its involvement as a guest country in G20 meetings for the third year in a row.

This year's invitation came from Brazil, the current G20 president. At the meeting, the UAE showcased its progress in promoting women's leadership and economic empowerment. The country also emphasized the role of women in supporting sustainability and climate action.

On the occasion of the G20 ministerial meeting, Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the President of the UAE Gender Balance Council, highlighted that the UAE has made great progress in empowering women economically through policies that support gender equality.

"The country has also integrated the fight against extremism, hate speech, discrimination, and gender-based violence into its national laws. She called for these principles to be incorporated into global frameworks to foster more inclusive economies and societies," the council president said.

She said G20 countries have a chance to lead by example in creating solutions to address the challenges women and girls face. Furthermore, she reaffirmed the UAE's commitment to sharing its successful experiences with the world, reflecting the nation's focus on collaboration.

The council president emphasized that gender balance is a key part of the UAE's vision for sustainable development and that the UAE is eager to help create a world where women experience economic equality, independence, justice, and freedom from discrimination and violence.

"As part of our commitment to advancing gender equality, the UAE is eager to collaborate with countries and institutions across the world to drive meaningful global progress," Mona Al Marri, Vice President of the UAE Gender Balance Council, said at the meeting.

"The G20 Empowerment of Women Working Group meetings provided an invaluable platform to exchange ideas and implement strategies that have a lasting impact," she added.

At the meeting, Ahli emphasized the UAE's dedication to boosting women's economic empowerment, fighting discrimination and gender-based violence and increasing women's involvement in climate action efforts.

Emphasizing that the UAE believes true equality begins with education, she highlighted the success of the Women's Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai, a major achievement that will continue into Expo 2025 in Osaka.

"Thanks to our forward-thinking policies, women now represent 70 percent of university graduates and 57 percent of graduates in STEM fields – investing in a future workforce that fosters innovation and economic growth. Today, women comprise 46 percent of our workforce and hold 34 percent of leadership roles, including one-third of our cabinet. This representation enriches our decision-making processes and ensures diverse perspectives are integrated into governance and policy-making," Ahli added.