The Women’s Union organizes a dialogue session on… "Emirati women in international forums" In cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy

ABU DHABI, June 26 / WAM / The General Women’s Union, in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy, organized a high-level dialogue session under the title: “Emirati Women in International Forums: Leadership, Representation and Impact,” to shed light on the exceptional achievements made by Emirati women in the fields of diplomacy and international work, coinciding with the celebration of the International Day of Women in Diplomacy.

Her Excellency Noura Al Kaabi, Minister of State, stressed in her speech during the opening of the session that the International Day of Women in Diplomatic Work represents a global occasion to recognize the vital role that women play in promoting dialogue between peoples, building bridges of understanding, and supporting peace and sustainable development efforts.

Her Excellency explained that the adoption of this day by the United Nations was an affirmation of the importance of women’s participation in diplomatic work and in formulating international policies and decision-making at various levels. In this context, the UAE is proud to support the wise leadership and the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, “Mother of the Emirates”, President of the General Women’s Union, President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, Supreme President of the Family Development Foundation, that she was one of the main countries that participated in sponsoring the United Nations resolution to adopt June 24 as an International Day for Women at Work. Diplomat, based on her firm belief that empowering women constitutes an essential foundation for achieving sustainable development and enhancing security, stability and international cooperation.

Her Excellency continued: “We are pleased to praise the efforts of the General Women’s Union in supporting Emirati women in all fields, and we affirm our commitment to continue working to achieve the goals of the “Mother of the Emirates 50:50” vision, in a way that enhances the UAE’s position as a global model for women’s empowerment and leadership.”

Her Excellency stressed that celebrating women in diplomatic work is not only a celebration of individual achievements, but rather a celebration of the story of a nation that believed in women’s abilities, invested in their energies, and opened the doors of leadership and excellence for them. Today, Emirati women continue to write new chapters of this inspiring story, and they represent their nation efficiently and ably in regional and international forums.

In this context, Her Excellency Noura Khalifa Al Suwaidi, Secretary General of the General Women’s Union, stressed that celebrating International Women’s Day in Diplomatic Work reflects the UAE’s firm commitment to enhancing the pioneering role of women in shaping the international scene.

She said that Emirati women, thanks to the insightful vision of the wise leadership and the support of Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, “Mother of the Emirates,” have demonstrated exceptional competence in representing the nation in international forums, with their active and influential presence.

She expressed pride in seeing the daughter of the Emirates leading diplomatic initiatives and managing global files professionally and competently, becoming an essential partner in international decision-making.

She added that the achievements achieved consolidate the UAE’s position as a global model to be emulated in creating equal work environments, giving women the full opportunity to contribute to enhancing the values ​​of international dialogue and cooperation, and confirming to the whole world that Emirati women are a fundamental pillar of the country’s diplomacy aimed at consolidating global peace and stability.

The session witnessed qualitative participation from women leaders, as Hanan Khalfan Al-Alayli, political advisor for European affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Manal Al-Buraiki, director of the Strategy and Future Department at the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy, and Rawda Muhammad Al-Otaiba, political advisor in the Office of the Minister of State, spoke, and media personality Amira Muhammad moderated the discussion.

The session discussed the inspiring numbers that reflect the success of the UAE empowerment model. Women constitute about 49.5% of the workforce in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the percentage of female students at the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy reaches 60%, which heralds the sustainability of this superiority.

The speakers pointed out that there are more than 580 Emirati women in the diplomatic corps and missions, with 13 Emirati women ambassadors registered for the year 2025.

The session touched on the qualitative achievements that coincided with this diplomatic presence, most notably the election of Her Excellency Sheikha Al Nowais as Secretary-General of the United Nations Tourism Organization, as the first woman and the first Emirati person to lead the organization, with the support and votes of more than 160 countries.

It is noteworthy that the UAE topped the regional scene and ranked seventh in the world in the gender equality index issued by the United Nations Development Program for the year 2024. The country also set a precedent for being the first Gulf country to launch the National Plan for Women, Peace and Security to implement Security Council Resolution 1325, which enhances its role as a role model in empowering women and consolidating global peace.

At the conclusion of the session, the participants stressed that what Emirati women have achieved in the diplomatic sector is the result of an integrated system of supportive legislation and policies that have established their foundations since its founding, stressing that the next stage will witness more qualitative empowerment of women’s competencies to ensure the sustainability of the state’s leadership in various international forums, in order to consolidate the UAE’s message calling for peace, development and humanitarian cooperation.

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