Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi Advocates For Investing In Women To Foster Global Progress

Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, in a poignant statement for International Women's Day (IWD) 2024, emphasized the theme "Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress". Celebrated annually on 8th March, IWD serves as a crucial reminder of women's resilience worldwide. Sheikha Bodour highlighted the significant achievements of women across various sectors, including their roles as CEOs, astronauts, and world leaders. She pointed out the importance of acknowledging the progress made while also recognizing the ongoing challenges and the need for collective empowerment.

Despite notable advancements, Sheikha Bodour underscored persistent challenges in gender parity. Citing the International Labor Organisation, she noted that while women constitute about 50% of the global population, their workforce participation stands at 61%, in stark contrast to 90% for men. The 2022 Global Gender Gap Report by the World Economic Forum projects it would take 132 years to close the current gender gap, signaling an urgent need for action.

In her statement, Sheikha Bodour shared insights from her tenure as President of the International Publishers Association. She expressed concern over the low levels of female representation in publishing and discussed her initiative, PublisHer. This initiative aims to empower women in publishing towards leadership roles and has recently introduced The PublisHer Excellence Awards to recognize and amplify women's voices in the industry.

Sheikha Bodour also stressed the importance of education in addressing gender-based inequity. She highlighted Sharjah’s commitment to fostering diverse leaders through its educational institutions and development programmes. These efforts are particularly evident in Sharjah's technology institutions, which advocate for women in STEM fields, aiming to bridge the digital divide and promote female leadership in technology.

Concluding her statement, Sheikha Bodour called for continued investment in women to not only accelerate progress but also lay the groundwork for a future where individuals of all genders can contribute equally. This International Women's Day, she urged for a commitment towards dismantling barriers and fostering an inclusive environment where every woman's potential is recognized and realized.

With inputs from WAM