Dubai students and working women to participate in workshops at Arab Women's Leadership Forum in January

The Arab Women's Leadership Forum, scheduled to be held on 13-14 January at the Monarch Hotel in Dubai, will bring together a distinguished quorum of women achievers from around the Arab world.

Themed 'Women and Leadership: Global Trends and Local Innovations,' the forum will serve a motivational purpose, spotlighting the achievements of select Arab women to a primarily young and well-informed audience.

Aisha Al-Suweidi, Director of Women's Leadership Development at DWE, said Her Highness Sheikha Manal, wife of His Highness Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister for Presidential Affairs, has instructed the forum's organizing committee to give young talents of Dubai to interact with key speakers and participants at the forum.

Al-Suweidi revealed that the forum will include a set of specialized workshops, as students from Dubai will participate in a workshop aiming at developing their leadership skills, while working women will participate in another aiming at developing their leadership skills as executives.

In parallel to these activities, a focus group will join the team of Dubai Women Establishment to key women leaders and guests to discuss DWE's five year multi-pronged strategy and the establishment's planned projects in the near future.

The Dubai Women's Establishment announced its strategy earlier this year, validating its commitment to relentlessly work towards enhancing women's participation not only in the country's economic, social and political advancement but also in the political decision-making process.

The DWE strategy works through five main dimensions, namely (i) laying down policies and developing women-related legislations; (ii) nurturing future women leaders; (iii) helping women maintain a balance between their professional and family lives; (iv) providing life-long opportunities for trainees as well as employed women; and (v) cultivating role models and celebrating the image of UAE women.

The DWE strategy is an outcome of nearly 18 months of research, data and statistics analysis, determining the actual needs required for enhancing the capabilities of UAE women. The study led to the development of a well-prepared plan, setting the objectives, strategies and tools through which the Establishment aims to launch its endeavours for achieving the set targets.

In its aim to play a pioneering role in promoting women empowerment across the GCC countries, DWE's long-term regional objectives include launching a regional report that measures and evaluates the progress of women in the region.

Dubai Women's Establishment will also work to expand its scope of activity to cover the Gulf region so as to become a vital resource of information related to the standing of women throughout the Gulf region.

DWE was formed under Decree No. 24 of 2006, issued by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, with the target of highlighting the positive social role played by the UAE women, even while enhancing and empowering them with relevant skills.