-Blank NEWS Online (NIGERIA):
AMBASSADOR of United Arab Emirate to Nigeria, Fahad Al-Taffaq has called on Nigerian government to continue to empower more women and protect the girl child.
Speaking at the UAE Women Empowerment Webinar in Friday, Al-Taffaq said: “Women and the Girl child continue to play critical roles in nation building and I encourage all relevant stakeholders including governments of both our countries, and NGOs to continue to do more to empower more women and protect the girl child globally.”
He said in line with UAE government’s efforts to empower women and protect the girl child, in 2019, the Embassy in Abuja, in collaboration with Sharjah Charity International; a UAE-based Charity organization and the Ministry of Foreign affairs and international Cooperation in Abu Dhabi, inaugurated a women empowerment initiative that provided vocational training for 100 Nigerian women.
He noted that the programme provided a platform for women’s social development and sustainability that allowed them acquire valuable skills aimed at promoting self-reliance, employment creation and poverty alleviation amongst women in the society.
The Ambassador said UAE upholds the value of women, and has made concerted efforts to empower women by continuously creating an enabling environment for them in the nation building and considering them a key partner for socioeconomic, political and cultural development.
He said the strategic inclusion of women in national development has yielded unprecedented growth for the UAE, disclosing that as of 2021, the UAE’s Federal Cabinet includes nine women (nearly one third of cabinet members), and this is one of the highest proportions in the Middle East.
He said. “Women empowerment is deeply rooted in the fabric of our nation, our laws reflect gender equality, in this light, in 2018 the UAE approved a law on equal wages and salaries for women and men.
“This covers both the private and public sector, currently 23,000 Emirati businesswomen run projects worth over AED50 billion, (13 billion USD) and occupy 15% of the positions in the boards of chambers of commerce and industry nationwide.”
Also speaking at the webinar, the CEO of Aids for Women, Adolescents and Children International Organisation (AWACIO), Dr. Claudia Okeke said: “Women empowerment and education remains a vital aspect of building homes and communities.”
She disclosed that her NGO has collaborated with the UAE Embassy on many projects to empower women in the country.
