H.H. Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak to deliver keynote address at Second Conference of GCC Women Parliamentarians

To be held under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Fatima, the conference 'Women making a difference in the Parliament' will open on 30 October, at the Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi.

Her Highness Sheikha Fatima will highlight the achievements of women parliamentarians in the UAE and applaud the country's political leadership for its support in encouraging women to excel as vital pillars of the society.

She will also acknowledge women for contributing their talents to the progress of the country, and reiterate her appreciation of women's participation in the nation's decision-making process as parliamentarians.

Her Highness Sheikha Fatima commended the Geneva-based Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the GCC parliamentarians for organising the event in Abu Dhabi.

Dr. Amal Abdulla Juma Al-Qubaisi, Federal National Council (FNC) member and head of the UAE delegation to the conference, underpinned the continuous support women in the UAE enjoyed under the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan. Al-Qubaisi also praised Her Highness Sheikha Fatima for her consistent support to women's causes and said she was the first to predict that women would join the FNIC more than 10 years ago.

Dr Al-Qubaisi said: "Her Highness Sheikha Fatima's sustained support and encouragement have strengthened the commitment of UAE women to actively participate in all walks of life. Her continuous guidance will definitely drive women towards greater avenues of accomplishment.

"Her Highness Sheikha Fatima's prediction about women in the FNC was considered an impossible goal back then. Today, women's representation at FNC has reached around 23 per cent, one of the highest in the world. The clear vision and unconditional motivation of Her Highness Sheikha Fatima have empowered women and enabled them to emerge as effective parliamentarians and even represent the UAE in overseas forums."

The two-day conference will serve as a platform to exchange best practices on mainstreaming gender in parliament, strengthen women's knowledge of political processes; promote an exchange of experience between women from similar cultural and political backgrounds; maintain visibility on the question of women in politics, and encourage continuous participation of women in the political arena.

Women members of parliament from Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE will participate in the conference.