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The UAE has called upon UN member states to uphold their obligations to promote and protect the fundamental freedoms and rights of women at the UN’s High-Level Meeting on Beijing+25 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women.

In her virtual address to the UN General Assembly, Hessa Essa Buhumaid, Minister for Community Development, said, "Twenty-five years ago, we adopted the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, and at this important moment, we must reflect on the achievements that have been made, as well as the existing gaps and challenges, such as discrimination and violence against women and girls. Since the founding of our nation, the United Arab Emirates has believed that the full participation of women as equal partners is critical for achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development."

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Minister Buhumaid underscored that sustainable development, peace, prosperity, and greater resiliency require tackling discrimination and inequality. In this regard, she emphasised the greater need to allocate adequate resources for the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women.

She also stressed that it is vital that women are empowered economically to guarantee their fair participation in the development of communities.

Additionally, Buhumaid outlined the UAE’s most recent efforts in advancing the role of women and guaranteeing their full participation in the UAE. She noted that in 2018, the UAE passed a law guaranteeing equal pay for equal work and that through the 2019 Family Protection Policy, women and girls are protected from domestic violence. She highlighted the important role played by Emirati women in the UAE through their political participation; women now hold 50 per cent of the seats in the UAE’s parliamentary body, the Federal National Council.

The UAE Minister also noted that women also constitute 80 per cent of the scientists for the Emirates Mars Mission, which made history earlier this year as the first Arab interplanetary mission.

"We must all work together to support and empower every woman and every girl to ensure their effective participation in society and the world," she concluded.

The UN General Assembly convened the meeting to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the most comprehensive global agenda for the achievement of gender equality and women’s rights to date. The meeting focused on concrete actions, plans, and commitments to accelerate the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls by 2030.