Abu Dhabi witnessed yesterday the launching ceremony of the Arab Charter for Women's Rights, which was held under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak, President of the General Women's Union, Supreme President of the Family Development Foundation and President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood The President of the Arab Parliament, Dr. Meshal Al-Salmi, the Speaker of the Federal National Council, Dr. Amal Al-Qubaisi, in addition to the Speaker of the Bahraini Parliament, Fawzia Zainal, and a number of officials and representatives of international parliaments and women's institutions globally and Arably.
The launching ceremony began with a speech by Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, in which she considered the launching of the document as an exceptional and qualitative historic event in the march of the development and advancement of Arab women, securing their rights and active participation in building their society, and achieving the goals of comprehensive and balanced development in their countries.
In a speech delivered on behalf of Her Highness, Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, said that «the document is based on the noble principles and ethical goals, and is a living embodiment of the teachings of the true Islam, and a natural expression of the keenness in the Arab region to enable women to fulfill their expected role in achieving Comprehensive and sustainable development ».
Her Highness added: “The UAE represents a prestigious example of the role of Arab women in society and the world. This role is the result of our great pride in our leadership, starting with the late founder of the state, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, may God bless him. the society".
The document, which consists of 25 articles, considers women's rights as an integral part of human rights and aims to ensure their effective participation in building their society. It also aims at promoting women's fair and equitable equality with men in constitutions and legislation, as well as partnership in decision-making and policy-making positions. It grants the signatory States the right to take appropriate measures and procedures to rid customs and traditions of negative practices contrary to good behavior.
The document also includes, in its most prominent articles, legal protection for women, taking into account their multiple reproductive and productive roles, prohibiting the employment of women in hard and harmful work that is not appropriate to their nature, as well as the prohibition of dismissal from work because of marriage, pregnancy, maternity leave or accompanying the husband, with the introduction of maternity leave system. Paid or accompanied with similar social benefits, without loss of employment or seniority in the public and private sectors, with the provision and provision of nurseries in the work centers, in addition to taking special measures to ensure free health services during pregnancy, childbirth and post-natal.
They also included the adoption of legislative, legal and executive measures to guarantee women's right to spend on them, not to violate their share of inheritance, as well as the right of women married to an alien to retain their nationality or acquire the nationality of their spouses, while guaranteeing the right to pass on their nationality to their children.