On December 20, the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in Tbilisi, in coordination with the Human Rights Secretariat of Georgia, organized an online meeting on “Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment in the United Arab Emirates and Georgia,” with participation of representatives of the Human Rights Secretariat, a structural unit of the Administration of the Government of Georgia, which ensures the coordination of the executive branch in the process of elaboration and implementation of the state policies of the government in the field of human rights.
During the discussion, Maka Peradze, head of the Human Rights Secretariat of the Government of Georgia presented the main tasks of Human Rights Secretariat and its ongoing projects, activities and plans in the field of human rights protection, gender equality and children’s rights issues.
Munira Almarzooqi, Charge d’Affairs of the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates to Georgia highlighted the efforts and achievements of the UAE in the field of gender equality and women’s rights issues. In particular, she underlined the key facts and presented actual milestones, such as the UAE Constitution guarantee for equal rights regardless of gender identity, and the leading position of the UAE in international reports, which assess the progress in terms of gender equality and women’s empowerment.
Moreover, the head of the UAE mission pointed out the vision of the UAE state leadership, one which focuses on women’s empowerment and agenda, in line with the goals of strengthening social cohesion and developing a competitive knowledge economy aiming at increased gender balance.
Key points of the UAE achievements in this regard were displayed during the meeting:
• On October 8, 2019, the Arab Charter of Women’s Rights was launched in Abu Dhabi to serve as a guideline for all Arab League member states, with the aim of informing legislation and ensuring Arab women’s rights.
• Emirati women make up 60% of the country’s total UAE national university graduates and 43% of the UAE national workforce.
• In 2018, the Law on Equal Wages and Salaries for Men and Women was approved by the UAE Cabinet in support of gender equality, as well as paid maternity leave and reduced working hours for new mothers.
Ms. Almarzooqi also highlighted the participation of Emirati women in Governmental institutions and the country’s outstanding success in this regard.
• Emirati women in the UAE hold two-thirds of public sector jobs, with 30% in leadership roles and 15% in technical and academic roles.
• 25% of cabinet-level minster roles in the UAE are held by women.
• Women make up 20% of the UAE’s diplomatic corps.
Women’s economic empowerment and numerous programs that aim to promote the economic and social development of female entrepreneurs and provide financial literacy to young women were also highlighted during the virtual meeting.
Ms. Almarzooqi, in her speech, pointed to the participation of the UAE in international treaties and conventions for the protection of human rights, and its contribution to humanitarian projects focused on women, in addition to the country’s donations targeted at supporting gender equality and women’s empowerment.
Key facts highlighting Emirati women’s distinguished success in the fields of defense and education were also presented during the online event.
In her closing remarks, governmental administration representative Maka Peradze praised the Embassy’s initiative to organize the event on the issue of women’s rights, while expressing her hope towards further enhancing the mutual cooperation between the two countries in human rights issues through implementing mutual projects.
