Women's empowerment requires leaders' cooperation

Women's leaders stated on Tuesday (March 29) that empowering the next-generation needed cooperation from heads of state in order to improve and preserve women's future contributions to global society. Top-down measures, such as quotas and targets, have been shown to increase women's participation in political life, according to participants at the Women in Government Forum. Amina Longoh, Chad's Minister of Women, Family and Child Protection, Sahar Albazar, President of the Forum of Young Parliamentarians and Deputy Chair of the Egyptian House of Representatives Foreign Relations Committee, and Sara Falaknaz, Member of the UAE's Federal National Council (FNC), discussed 'Passing On the Baton: Empowering the Next Generation' at the Forum's closing session, which took place at the World Government Summit (WGS2022) in Dubai. Amina Longoh, who opened the conversation, urged governments to use legislation to ensure gender equality. "Governments must promote gender balance and equal opportunities," she said, adding that they must not only invite women to the table to make choices but also provide them with the tools and assistance they need to carry out their policies. Sahar Albazar, for one, cited Egypt as an example of a president who has played a critical role in empowering women after decades of exclusion from public life."Our president is a believer in the empowerment of Women. In 2017, Egypt launched its first National Strategy for Empowering Egyptian Women, which brings together policy, legislation, initiatives - such as capacity building programmes - and other campaigns to enhance the role of women in Egypt," she said. Women presently make up 28% of parliament, 14% of the Senate, 25% of the cabinet, 44% of the National Council for Human Rights, 56% of diplomats, and 27% of deputy ministers in Egypt. Sara Falaknaz, who backed both of her fellow panelists, emphasized the UAE government's support for women's inclusion in public life, praising the FNC's 50 percent female representation quota."The right education system - like the one we have in the UAE - is fundamental to the success and continued participation of Women in society. Governments around the world should do more to create environments where Women can succeed based on what is most appropriate for their cultures. This is what the UAE did, and all Women in the country reap the benefits of this approach," she said. The Women in Government Forum brings together politicians, thought leaders, and practitioners to discuss the opportunities, challenges, and actions required to achieve gender parity in governments worldwide. KMB/Expat Media
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