UAE effort on empowerment of women is laudable: Ivanka
Ivanka Trump visits the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi. Reuters
Ivanka Trump, Adviser to the US President, on Saturday said that the UAE is taking bold leadership in advancing women’s empowerment in the region and expressed the hope that other countries will join the UAE in advancing the active participation of women is various spheres.
“The United Arab Emirates is taking bold leadership on this mission in the region and we hope that other countries join in reforming laws that prevent women from fully and freely integrating into the political, social and economic spheres,” she said.
The Adviser to the US President, who is set to deliver a keynote address at the official opening of Global Women’s Forum Dubai 2020, was received on her arrival in the UAE by Mona Al Marri, Chairperson of the Board and Managing Director of the Dubai Women Establishment. The forum, to be held under the theme “The Power of Influence” from Feb.16-17, is being organised by DWE under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai.
Ivanka Trump said: “I am delighted to be attending the Global Women’s Forum Dubai to advance women’s economic empowerment around the world and highlight the progress of the Women’s Global Development and Prosperity Initiative. This initiative has impacted over 12 million women in its first year, well on its way towards our goal of economically empowering 50 million women by 2025.”
She will join other high-profile international speakers at the forum to share her views on the importance of supporting women across developing countries and enabling them to contribute to their nation’s development process.
Mona Al Marri conveyed the greetings of Sheikha Manal Bint Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of the UAE Gender Balance Council and wife of Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs to Ivanka Trump. She also relayed Sheikha Manal’s appreciation for accepting the invitation to speak at the second Global Women’s Forum Dubai 2020. She said the forum reflects the UAE’s keenness to support the global dialogue on advancing women’s participation, especially in the economy. Al Marri noted that Ivanka Trump’s participation will help enrich the discussions at the event and support the advancement of women’s contributions to the economy.
Apart from speaking at the forum, Ivanka will participate in the We-Fi MENA Regional Summit in Dubai, which will take place on the sidelines of GWFD 2020.
Earlier on Saturday, Ivanka arrived in the UAE, where she met women entrepreneurs and was to meet Abu Dhabi's crown prince.
She was in Abu Dhabi ahead of the two-day Global Women’s Forum in Dubai, where she was to give the keynote address on Sunday.
In Abu Dhabi, Trump met women business leaders at the Louvre Abu Dhabi before touring the museum. She later visited the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, the largest mosque in the country.
At the Louvre, Ivanka discussed women’s economic empowerment in the UAE with businesswomen and government officials. Officials included Reem Al-Hashemi, Minister of State for International Cooperation; Noura Al-Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Knowledge development, and Minister of State for Advanced Sciences Sarah Al-Amiri.
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