Gender-based violence a major challenge: UAE

Geneva - The UAE is planning to hold a follow-up meeting on in 2020 to evaluate the progress of the campaigns to combat sexual and gender-based violence.

The UAE mission in Geneva took part in a panel discussion, held as part of the humanitarian affairs segment of the United Nations, UN, Economic and Social Council, ECOSOC, titled, "Oslo Conference Outcomes on Ending Sexual and Gender-based Violence in Humanitarian Crises".
Sexual and gender-based violence is one of the main challenges facing the international community as they impact humanitarian conditions and armed conflicts, said Obaid Salem Al Za'abi, UAE Permanent Representative to the United Nations and Other International Organisations in Geneva, in his opening address.
The UAE, along with its partners, is planning to hold a follow-up meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in 2020 to evaluate the progress of the campaigns to combat sexual and gender-based violence, he revealed.
He highlighted the UAE's experience in placing empowerment and protection of women as a key pillar of its foreign aid strategy, saying that last year, the country launched a 100 percent women empowerment policy which targets gender equality and empowering women and girls in the bilateral and multilateral foreign aid programmes by 2021.
"One of the top priorities in the UAE policy is to guarantee equal representation for women in the national parliament, the Federal Nation Council, as well as the legislations that ensure equal pay. The UAE has already succeeded in closing the educational gap and now, the female university graduates outnumber their male peers," he said.
"Development and humanitarian aid, eliminating poverty and empowering women are not topics to be discussed among the technical, financial or engineering experts, but rather a political necessity that should be looked at by the top officials. Only through political will and teamwork, can we put an end to the brutality of sexual and gender-based violence in humanitarian crises," he said in conclusion.

• Abu Dhabi