UAE Empowers Women at BRICS Meeting in Brazil

Photo: Dubai Government Media Office

The United Arab Emirates (UAE), through its Gender Balance Council, recently joined the BRICS Women’s Affairs Ministerial Meeting held in Brazil. The meeting focused on helping women become stronger in business, safer in the digital world, and more involved in protecting the environment.

On this special occasion, Her Highness Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the President of the UAE Gender Balance Council and wife of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, praised Brazil’s leadership of the BRICS group. She also confirmed the UAE’s commitment to working with other countries to support women and ensure sustainable and fair growth for all.

She said, “Helping women grow in business is not just a right — it is a national priority and a way to bring more innovation and growth.” She added that gender balance is a big part of the UAE’s goals, and giving women equal opportunities boosts the country’s strength and creativity. The UAE continues to lead the region with fair laws that support equal pay, parental leave, and full involvement of women in the economy.

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Sheikha Manal also pointed out how the UAE supports women who are working to fight climate change and lead green innovations, especially in areas like solar energy and agriculture.

She appreciated the important topics discussed during the BRICS meeting, saying they show that all BRICS nations are serious about making gender equality a key part of their development plans. She said BRICS is a strong platform that helps countries learn from each other and support women who are leading in climate action.

UAE’s Achievements in Supporting Women

Sheikha Manal proudly spoke about the progress the UAE has made in helping women succeed in the economy. This has been possible due to the full support of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE.

She also shared that the UAE is working to build a digital future where everyone feels safe and equal. In November, the UAE Gender Balance Council introduced guidelines to stop gender-based violence online, which aim to make the internet safer for women.

Active UAE Participation at BRICS Meeting

The UAE took an active role in the BRICS Ministerial Meeting. Her Excellency Mona Ghanem Al Marri, Vice President of the UAE Gender Balance Council, joined the sessions.

The meeting began with a speech by Brazil's First Lady, along with other key leaders like:

• Esther Duque, Minister of Administration and Innovation

• Anielle Franco, Minister of Racial Equality

• Aparecida Gonçalves, Minister of Women of Brazil

Together, they talked about important topics like:

• Working together internationally

• Helping women become financially independent

• Creating safe digital spaces

• Supporting women in climate leadership

Supporting Women Entrepreneurs

In the session on “Women, Development, and Entrepreneurship,” Mona Al Marri highlighted the UAE’s strong support for businesswomen. She said, “Emirati women have made a real difference in our economy.” Today, women own 18% of businesses, and 77% of them are under the age of 40. By 2021, there were around 25,000 female entrepreneurs in the UAE.

She also talked about programmes like SWAN by the Khalifa Fund, which trains women to run businesses, and the SDG 5 Pledge, which helps women grow into leaders. Mona encouraged other BRICS countries to create more international mentorship networks and platforms that connect women entrepreneurs across borders.

Safe Digital Spaces for Women

Speaking in the session “Digital Governance and Misogyny,” Mona Al Marri said it is important to build safe and fair digital spaces for women. In the UAE, women are doing very well in science and technology. 56% of STEM graduates are women, and women made up 80% of the science team for the UAE Mars Mission.

She shared that the UAE has strong laws against cyberbullying, hate speech, and fake news. She called for more teamwork among countries to make the internet a safer space for everyone. The UAE also works closely with tech companies to protect women online and help them grow in the digital world.

Women and Climate Leadership

Mona Al Marri also spoke about women’s leadership in climate issues. She said that during COP28, two-thirds of the UAE’s delegation leaders were women, and 30% of the country’s energy sector workforce is female.

She highlighted the UAE’s work with global partners, such as the Climate Change and Gender Equality Initiative launched with UN Women. She urged BRICS countries to share ideas, invest in green skills, and support women who are working on eco-friendly solutions.

Aparecida Gonçalves, Brazil’s Minister of Women, praised the UAE’s impressive efforts in gender balance. She said the UAE is a role model for the world and expressed a strong desire to work more closely with the UAE Gender Balance Council.

Meetings Between the UAE and Brazil

On the sidelines of the event, Mona Al Marri met with Aparecida Gonçalves to explore ways to work together and exchange ideas on gender balance.

Mona thanked Brazil for the warm welcome and for hosting a successful meeting. She also praised the topics discussed, which show Brazil’s dedication to improving cooperation among BRICS nations in promoting gender equality.

Saleh Ahmed Al Suwaidi, the UAE’s Ambassador to Brazil, welcomed Mona Al Marri, along with Mouza Mohammed Al Ghuwais Al Suwaidi, Secretary-General of the Gender Balance Council, and Maitha Al Hashimi, Director of Strategic Studies and Legislation.

Ambassador Al Suwaidi praised the Council’s efforts in representing the UAE on a global stage and helping the country maintain its high rankings in global reports.

Mona Al Marri, in turn, thanked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the UAE Embassy in Brazil for supporting the Council’s participation.