Federal National Council Launches Arab Charter on Women’s Rights in Cooperation with Arab Parliament

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates-(AETOSWire) : Under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairperson of the General Women’s Union, Supreme Chairperson of the Family Development Foundation, and Chairwoman of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, the Federal National Council (FNC), in cooperation with the Arab Parliament, today launched the Arab Charter on Women’s Rights.

The launch is a crucial milestone in empowering Arab women, guaranteeing their rights, engaging them in nation-building and promoting inclusive development.

The ceremony drew the participation of His Excellency Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of State for Tolerance, His Excellency Dr Meshaal Al Salmi, Speaker of the Arab Parliament, Dr Amal Abdullah Al Qubaisi, Speaker of FNC, and several heads of Arab parliaments and other entities.

Comprising 25 articles, the Charter outlines a comprehensive framework for the empowerment of Arab women, based on the principles of Islamic law and human rights. The Charter reaffirms the tenets of the 1976 Arab Convention on the Arab women workers and the 2004 Arab Charter on Human Rights. It also aligns with the Charter of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the 1979 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, the 1995 Beijing Platform for Action and the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security.

Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak’s speech, delivered on her behalf by the UAE Minister of State for Tolerance, described the Charter as a historical document that reflects the natural keenness to engage women in sustainable development that is prevalent in the Arab region, and highlighted the contribution of women to the UAE’s achievements.

Dr Al Qubaisi said: “While developing the Charter over the past two years, we conducted 12 in-depth studies discussed across five workshops held by the Arab Parliament and worked closely with other parliaments and councils in the Arab world. These efforts aimed to garner support for the Charter to ensure its success and sustainability.”

She added: “The model of women’s empowerment presented by Her Highness focuses on empowering society through women. The UAE’s achievements in this regard are the result of carefully devised strategies, most notably the National Strategy for Empowerment of Emirati Women.”