• Home
• /
• UAE

UAE: Sheikha Fatima launches action plan to boost women's role in peace and security

Abu Dhabi - Emirates becomes first GCC country to adopt and implement UN resolution on women, peace and security.

The UAE on Tuesday launched its National Action Plan to advance the role of women in peace and security. Led by 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, the landmark launch makes the Emirates the first GCC country to adopt and implement the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security.

The UAE officially joins 84 nations that have all rolled out plans in support of the agenda, which is gaining recognition as a global priority.

“As we start The Year of the 50th in the UAE, we are all proud that our country is making outstanding achievements and launching pioneering initiatives to support and empower women, which has earned it a place among the most progressive countries in the world,” Sheikha Fatima said.

The country has recently made landmark achievements in gender balance, achieving its 2021 equality goals ahead of time. Late last year, it has been ranked No. 1 in the region and 18th globally in the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) 2020 Gender Inequality Index.

“We look forward to the UAE National Action Plan as an opportunity to discover more avenues for international collaboration, exchange of experiences, joint efforts, programmes and initiatives. Ones that contribute to narrowing the development gap between women in different countries and gives more space for women to participate and overcome the existing challenges and cross over to opportunities that achieve peace, prosperity, and progress,” Sheikha Fatima said.

Noura Al Suwaidi, secretary-general of the General Women’s Union, said the plan aims to respond to gender perspectives in foreign policies — especially those related to humanitarian aid for women and girls — and prevent and combat extremism. It lays down a plan for emergency response and crisis situations; incorporates gender analysis into the scope of international peace efforts; and promotes gender equality in humanitarian aid. It also aims to achieve effective participation of women in conflict prevention, increase their participation in peacebuilding, train women military officers, as well as enhance women’s participation in politics in the country.

The UAE has long supported the role of women in peace building, she added. It is a founding member of the Women and Peace and Security Focal Points Network, and one of the countries that introduced UN Security Council resolution 2242. It has also invested more than $2 billion to develop programmes related to the protection and empowerment of women and girls in 113 countries. For 2021, it has increased the percentage of foreign aid allocated to the women empowerment and protection.

Dr Mouza Al Shehhi, director of the UN Women Liaison Office for the GCC, said: “This launch is a culmination of the UAE’s commitments towards women’s political and economic empowerment.