Her Highness Sheikha Manal addresses forum on 'Women as Global Leaders'

The event was organised by Zayed University under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Supreme Chairperson of Family Development Foundation, Chairperson of UAE Women's Federation and Chairperson of Arab Women's Organization.

The event, taking place at Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai, has brought together several leading international and UAE women leaders and more than 2,000 students from 85 countries.

Focusing on the evolution of women's role in the UAE, Her Highness Sheikha Manal explained the objectives of Dubai Women's Establishment to support and develop the role of women in society. She added the Establishment has drawn up a comprehensive framework, incorporating path-breaking concepts to widen its role and increase women's participation in the UAE's nation-building process.

She elaborated on the initiatives she undertook to develop the Establishment in line with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, for training and developing women leaders of the future.

Emphasising the ethos behind Dubai Women's Establishment that was founded in December 2006, Her Highness Sheikha Manal said: "Women in the UAE must ensure that we assume the responsibility for conceptualising, developing and drawing up women-centric policies, instead of being on the other end of the decision making spectrum. It is only through adopting such an attitude have we achieved success in launching programmes that support women and prioritize their issues.

Her Highness Sheikha Manal commended the continuous efforts of Her Highness Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak as well as His Excellency Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak for his sponsorship of the conference, acknowledging their continuous commitment to fostering women's activities in the country. She made a special mention of the positive role governmental and non-governmental organizations have played in highlighting critical issues relevant to women.

Addressing the students of Zayed University, she said: "You are a proud example of what Emirati women should be like. The biggest proof of your worth is your capability to organize such an international event."

Her Highness Sheikha Manal urged university students in the audience to break out of their narrow personal confines and focus on wider and more meaningful issues. She reminded them not to concentrate on personal achievements but contribute positively to raising the holistic quality of the community at large.

Her Highness Sheikha Manal also encouraged them to take up active volunteering roles. She said: "Not only does volunteering elevate and advance societies and nations, it also greatly impacts the personal lives of humans. We must gear up to handle real challenges and not choose to hide behind attractive statistics."

Concluding her address, Her Highness Sheikha Manal said: "I am not a pessimist. Being afraid and anxious about the future is not my trait. Painting a bleak picture of reality is not my habit. I have learnt from my father His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid to perceive facts as they are and to deal with real challenges as they appear. In doing that, I have been able to tackle most problems effectively. If we do not work to improve women's status, we can never claim to have achieved success in our mission."

The speech was followed by a series of workshops to discuss women's issues.

The conference on 'Women as Global Leaders' will draw to a close on 12th March.