ABU DHABI, 31st May, 2023 (WAM) –As part of an international strategic strategy aiming to eliminate the impacts of climate change, empower women and girls, enhance food security, and in alignment with the priorities of the UAE Foreign Aid Policy, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), General Women's Union, Mohamed bin Zayed Academy for Agriculture and Environment, UN Women, with support of the Emirati RCA launched H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Initiative to Empower Africa’s Rural Women in Agricultural Sector.
The Initiative aims to empower and habilitate 30 male and female trainees from Senegal and Ethiopia inside the UAE in the agriculture sector, as a first phase.
The second and following phases will be implemented in several countries with the overall aim of training and building the capacities of more than 20,000 rural women to make their living and be entrepreneurs in agriculture sector, in addition to closing the gender gap in this vital sector. Other aims include developing the rural women’s skills and abilities in agriculture, imped concepts of sustainability and reducing carbon emissions by using new agriculture techniques, to help adapt with the climate change implications.
The initiative also aims to make agriculture a primary source of income for the rural women in addition to fulfilling their personal consumption needs, or selling the produces to contribute in the economic development of their countries.
The initiative will be utilised to scale up the female beneficiaries’ base of the Emirates Red Crescent (ERC) in the African countries, along with improving their economic, social and humanitarian capacities.
Through the initiative, the trainees will be hosted in the UAE and enrolled in extensive training courses facilitated by experts in agriculture and management of small and large farms, to enable them to train other rural women in their countries.
Sheikha Dr. Moza bint Tahnoun bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, Advisor in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said, “This initiative comes in line with the humanitarian message of H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, who helped in finding realistic solutions for many social problems, including fighting poverty by developing and habilitating the human resources.
“This inspiring project will open doors of hope to these female trainees, allowing them to integrate in the production cycle of their communities and countries.
“This initiative will help protecting the human societies from poverty, and to be more empowered, developed and happier through improving the capacities of the rural women, and help them fulfil their dreams for decent lives for them, their families and communities.”
She added that “the UAE’s commitment towards the African nations contributes in achieving more optimistic future vision for the continent. This initiative coincides with celebrating the world “Day of Africa” and comes in light of the UAE Leadership’s conviction that the real value of help and support lies in building the human capital on the long run.”
Sheikha Dr. Moza bint Tahnoun said, “This initiative is an integral part of the efforts of HH 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, Mother of the UAE, in supporting women’s leadership and empowerment beginning from the UAE and all over the worlds out of Her Highness’ belief in the importance and prioritising women’s support and capacity building in various sectors, in addition to Her Highness’s role in boosting Women, Peace and Security Agenda worldwide.”
Sultan Al Shamsi, Assistant Minister for Development and International Organisations in MoFA, stated that: “the initiative of Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, (Mother of the Nation), Chairwoman of the General Women's Union, President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation and the Honorary President of the Emirates Red Crescent, Mother of the UAE, is drawn upon the primary goals of the UAE’s Foreign Aid Policy that aims to improve the lives of the less fortunate communities, reduce poverty and building world’s peace, stability and prosperity through active participation in the exerted efforts aiming to implement the Sustainable Development Goals; among which empowering women and girls, particularly in Africa.
Al Shamsi added, The United Arab Emirates is working on this initiative to help reduce the impacts of climate change and to help the rural women in Africa addressing the challenges that affect their ability to increase their productivity and income, by providing them with the required skills to fulfil their and their families’ needs, because we in the UAE believe in the importance of women empowerment and her active role in enhancing the sustainable economic growth.”
Noura Al Suwaidi, Secretary-General of the General Women's Union (GWU), highlighted that, “Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women's Union, President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation and the Honorary President of the Emirates Red Crescent, Mother of the UAE, has extended numerous humanitarian and charitable contributions in the long-dated UAE giving journey that expands all over the world, out of Her Highness’s vision aiming to drive the humanitarian and women’s work forward, and make a paradigm shift to improve women’s lives, as part of the efforts to build safe and stable societies.
She added, “The initiative of H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak to Empower Rural Women in Africa in Agriculture Sector coincides with the Year of Sustainability and with the UAE’s efforts to host the COP28 conference on Climate Change, where rural woman is a central pillar in the solutions to sustainable future, with plenty of inspiring women around the world acted actively to cope with the negative impacts of climate change, and showed great resilience in adapting low carbon technologies and sustainable production methods in agriculture, energy, water management and food security systems.
She also indicated that the initiative provides the trainees with the knowledge and experience to respond more effectively to climate change, and to be more resilient to the modern techniques in agriculture sector, in addition to helping them transfer their knowledge to their communities to dissemination the anticipated benefits of rural women empowerment, which is the key to the success of family, communities and national economies.
In this regard, Hamoud Al Junaibi, Secretary General of Emirate Red Crescent, commended the initiative of H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak to Empower Rural Women in Africa, and said, “It is one of the leading initiatives in the humanitarian and development field because it targets a significant segment in the African countries, especially those that are famous for women workers in agriculture sector who are handling plenty of life and livelihoods burdens.”
He also emphasised that, “this strategic partnership opens broader horizons for cooperation and coordination in one of the most important humanitarian and development work that promotes the capacities of the vulnerable segments to face difficult life conditions, indicating that this step would enhance the ERC's development efforts.”
He also added, “This initiative is one of the most important humanitarian and development projects that would bring about positive impacts to many people in Africa, and promotes stability and development in the concerned countries, which would, in turn, alleviate the living burdens of many needy and abstinent families, provide solutions to food scarce and reduce poverty in the least developed communities.”
He also pointed out that: this type of initiatives is a priority because it relates to fulfilling the human’s basic needs, especially those related to agriculture and food. Adding that this step will be the nucleus for more vital projects in this sector in the future.
Dr. Abdulmonem Almarzooqi , CEO and Member of the Board of Elite Agro Holding, said that, “The programme aims to support women, who represent over 40 percent of the agriculture labour force, and moving from subsistence farming to a more sustainable and commercial-oriented approach, and encourage them to take leading positions in agriculture sector to address poverty, food security and eliminate gender disparities.
This participation is an integral part of the Mohamed bin Zayed Academy for Agriculture and Environment and is drown on the UAE’s endeavour not only to train female farmers to move from subsistence to sustainability, but also to move from merchant to entrepreneur, with special focus on the challenges and scientific solutions.
Dr. Mouza Al Shehhi, Executive Director of UN Women Liaison Office for the GCC, said, “investing in empowering and building the capacities of rural women in the sustainable agriculture sector is a strategic necessity to achieve food security, sustainable development and eliminate poverty.” If rural women were empowered and their abilities were unleashed, that would transform the local societies, protect the environment and assure more equitable and prosperous future for all.
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