Her Excellency Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, said:
“I pay tribute to H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women’s Union (GWU), President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, and Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation (FDF), for the leadership and vision she continues to provide in support of women and girls who, evidence shows, experience the greatest impacts of climate change.
The launch of the ‘Climate Change and Gender Equality’ initiative is timely and comes at what is a critical juncture in our global efforts to tackle the climate change, a crisis which is not gender neutral and which only serves to amplify the existing gender inequalities we are so committed to tackling.
As we approach COP28, women’s and girl’s full and equal participation in decision-making processes is a top priority for the UAE. We recognize that without gender equality today, a sustainable, more equal future remains far beyond our reach.
Those who are most affected by climate change, including women, girls, and marginalized communities, must be involved in the design and implementation of climate response actions to ensure the equal sharing of benefits. It is a moral obligation.
At MOCCAE, we have seen first-hand that women can and do, play a critical role in the response to climate change. The ‘Climate Change and Gender Equality’ initiative, announced by Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, will accelerate the involvement of women and amplify their voices.”