BELGRADE, (Pakistan Point News - 17th Oct, 2019) Dr. Amal Abdullah Al Qubaisi, Speaker of the Federal National Council, FNC, presented the UAE’s efforts to empower women and the youth, during a workshop organised by the Inter-Parliamentary Union, IPU, entitled, 'Leaving no one behind in political representation: Gender and youth quotas'.
Dr. Al Qubaisi is chairing a delegation from the FNC Parliamentary Division at the IPU’s 141st Assembly held in the Serbian capital, Belgrade.
During the session, the FNC Speaker stressed that the UAE’s experiences in women’s and youth empowerment are based on strong foundations dating back to the country’s establishment, and its laws, leadership’s vision and national strategies have prioritised women and youth.
She also noted the vision of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who launched the country’s empowerment programme in 2005, and the role of the community in supporting women’s empowerment while presenting the UAE’s experience in increasing the political participation of women, who now account for 50 percent of FNC members.
Dr. Al Qubaisi highlighted the fact that the UAE recently hosted and organised a key event, the signing of the Arab Charter on Women's Rights in Abu Dhabi, in partnership between the FNC and the Arab Parliament, under the patronage H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women's Union, President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, and Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation.
The UAE believes in the importance of involving the youth in the decision-making process and it appointed the youngest Minister of State for Youth Affairs in 2016 who was 22-years old, and the youngest FNC member was elected at the age of 31 in 2015, she explained, noting the establishment of youth councils around the country, as well as the representation of women in the UAE Cabinet, which has nine female ministers.
