The UAE has come a long way in gender equality since its establishment in 1971 when there were only 45 university graduates at the time, five of which were women.
Today, the country has witnessed the highest female enrolment from high school to university in its history, at 95 per cent, and 70 per cent of female university graduates, including 56 per cent from science, technology and maths degrees.
“Prosperity and peace have always been a strong link with gender balance,” said Mona Al Marri, vice president of the UAE Gender Balance Council.
“The participation of women in all spheres – political, economic and even social - is critical for their empowerment which in turn is vital for sustainable development and peace. The UAE has set a great example.”
The country ranks first in the GCC in gender equality and it was the first Arab country to introduce a mandatory law when it comes to women representation in boardrooms in both the government and private sectors. “The concept of women empowerment is part of our culture,” Ms Al Marri said.
“It’s been set a long time ago and the status of women has been flourishing in parallel with the rapid growth of the country since its formation in 1971. We have a great leadership with a great vision.”
Today, women in the UAE represent 46.6 per cent of the labour market and 66 per cent working in the public sector.
More than 53,000 Emirati businesswomen are registered running an investment worth more than $15 billion.
“The government and leadership never stopped thinking of where to go next,” she said. “We established this council to acknowledge the importance of gender balance in UAE, to strengthen the institutional capacity and to ensure adequate gender-based policies within the UAE economic plan.”
But more needs to be done globally as the phenomenon of women in peace and security has been regressing around the world. Many are said to still believe it is a women’s agenda rather than inclusive of all genders.
But experts hope to attract young people and members of the more traditional security community to discuss vital issues on how to advance gender equality and its impact on international and national security.
“I wish more countries would take the commitment of gender equality as seriously as does the UAE,” said Dr Chantal de Jonge Oudraat, president of Women in International Security.
“Because it is seen as a women’s agenda, for many it is a marginal agenda and not a priority.
"For many states, because it’s a women’s agenda, it’s too often seen as an option so we want to underscore that it’s about gender equality, the importance of understanding gender perspectives, gender dimensions and how these affect international security as well as national security.”
Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, chairwoman of the General Women’s Union, which co-hosted the conference along with Abu Dhabi think tank Trends Research and Advisory, hopes the summit will generate specific recommendations.
“The international community think we are just part of this troubled region with conflicts and it’s all about war and issues,” Ms Al Marri added.
“But the UAE has really set a model for hope, prosperity, peace and tolerance. We want to lead such concepts like women’s empowerment around the world but we need to build a proper strategy for women’s empowerment – the voice of women is very important in regulation and legislation to make a difference in the future for generations to come.”
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
Company%20Profile
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Company%20Profile
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ABU DHABI ORDER OF PLAY
Starting at 10am:
Daria Kasatkina v Qiang Wang
Veronika Kudermetova v Annet Kontaveit (10)
Maria Sakkari (9) v Anastasia Potapova
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova v Ons Jabeur (15)
Donna Vekic (16) v Bernarda Pera
Ekaterina Alexandrova v Zarina Diyas
Business Insights
- Canada and Mexico are significant energy suppliers to the US, providing the majority of oil and natural gas imports
- The introduction of tariffs could hinder the US's clean energy initiatives by raising input costs for materials like nickel
- US domestic suppliers might benefit from higher prices, but overall oil consumption is expected to decrease due to elevated costs
Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now
Disclaimer
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Rating: 4/5
ON%20TRACK
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Simran
Director Hansal Mehta
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Soham Shah, Esha Tiwari Pandey
Three stars
Company%20Profile
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AIR
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Profile of Bitex UAE
Date of launch: November 2018
Founder: Monark Modi
Based: Business Bay, Dubai
Sector: Financial services
Size: Eight employees
Investors: Self-funded to date with $1m of personal savings
Price, base / as tested From Dh173,775 (base model)
Engine 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo, AWD
Power 249hp at 5,500rpm
Torque 365Nm at 1,300-4,500rpm
Gearbox Nine-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined 7.9L/100km
Buy farm-fresh food
The UAE is stepping up its game when it comes to platforms for local farms to show off and sell their produce.
In Dubai, visit Emirati Farmers Souq at The Pointe every Saturday from 8am to 2pm, which has produce from Al Ammar Farm, Omar Al Katri Farm, Hikarivege Vegetables, Rashed Farms and Al Khaleej Honey Trading, among others.
In Sharjah, the Aljada residential community will launch a new outdoor farmers’ market every Friday starting this weekend. Manbat will be held from 3pm to 8pm, and will host 30 farmers, local home-grown entrepreneurs and food stalls from the teams behind Badia Farms; Emirates Hydroponics Farms; Modern Organic Farm; Revolution Real; Astraea Farms; and Al Khaleej Food.
In Abu Dhabi, order farm produce from Food Crowd, an online grocery platform that supplies fresh and organic ingredients directly from farms such as Emirates Bio Farm, TFC, Armela Farms and mother company Al Dahra.
SPECS
Engine: 4-litre V8 twin-turbo
Power: 630hp
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: 8-speed Tiptronic automatic
Price: From Dh599,000
On sale: Now
Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Who is Allegra Stratton?
- Previously worked at The Guardian, BBC’s Newsnight programme and ITV News
- Took up a public relations role for Chancellor Rishi Sunak in April 2020
- In October 2020 she was hired to lead No 10’s planned daily televised press briefings
- The idea was later scrapped and she was appointed spokeswoman for Cop26
- Ms Stratton, 41, is married to James Forsyth, the political editor of The Spectator
- She has strong connections to the Conservative establishment
- Mr Sunak served as best man at her 2011 wedding to Mr Forsyth
Match info
Australia 580
Pakistan 240 and 335
Result: Australia win by an innings and five runs
AIDA%20RETURNS
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COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded