Dubai e-Government urges women to play a more active role

Participating in the regional workshop on "Improvement of Career Opportunities for Women in Arab States through Innovative Technological Programmes: Regional and International Cooperation," Dubai e-Government focused on its objective of creating awareness among women to make optimum use of opportunities provided by e-Services.

Salem Al-Shair, Director e-Services, Dubai e-Government, remarked, "Technology today presents immense possibilities for women to make productive use of their talents without breaking the conventions of society. We at Dubai e-Government have been educating various sections of the society on e-Services and emphasizing how important it is to keep pace with the new mode of conducting public transactions. This workshop was an ideal platform to reach an important section of society that will pass on their knowledge to their children."

The workshop, which was opened by the UAE Minister of Labour and Social Affairs Matar Humaid Al Tayer, was organized by UNESCO's International Project on Technical & Vocational Education (UNEVOC) and Dubai Women's College. It was attended by delegates from the GCC and other Arab countries, including Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, Yemen and the UAE.

"Unesco has always been concerned with issues related to socio-economic development in a region and equal employment opportunities for women is of primary concern to the Organization. This workshop was a significant event and went well with UNESCO's commitment towards uplift of women," said Dr. Awad Saleh, Secretary General, National Commission for UNESCO UAE. "We are particularly heartened by the participation of Dubai e-Government in this workshop, because this is an indication of the seriousness with which Dubai e-Government regards the issue of women's role in technology-driven ventures. We look at Dubai e-Government as a very important initiative that will go a long way towards improving services and providing employment to many people."

Reem Obeidat, Community Outreach Officer, Women and Education Sector, Dubai e-Government, gave insights into the mission of Dubai e-Government and how women formed an integral part of it in her presentation at Dubai Women's College.

"It is crucial that women educate themselves and play a more active role in society. The field of Information Technology is ideally suited to women as it provides them with extensive opportunities to utilize their capabilities even while working from the confines of home," said Obeidat. "As this area is considerably new and unexploited besides experiencing exponential growth, it offers numerous opportunities for women to excel. Dubai e-Government supports e-media and e-education initiatives and women must capitalize on these opportunities to create a better future for themselves."