30 SEPTEMBER 2024 | HAIFA AL KAYLANI OBE
It was an honour and pleasure for me to participate as a keynote speaker at the recent World Congress on Rehabilitation (WCR) 2024 under the theme ‘Work and Employment’, held on 23 – 25 Sep 2024 for the very first time in the Middle East in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Khalid bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of Zayed Higher Organization for People of Determination (ZHO), WCR 2024 addressed global challenges faced by people of determination focusing on overcoming barriers that hinder their integration into the labor market and ensuring equality. The Congress tackled issues related to their marginalisation, deprivation of workplace rights, and the imperative need to provide training and development programs. These initiatives are designed to equip them with the necessary skills, fostering their entry into the labor market and enhancing career advancement opportunities, both in the public and private sectors.
I was delighted to participate in the first plenary session on ‘Empowering Diversity: Inclusion, Employment and Participation of People of Determination’, co-chaired by HE Abdullah Al Humaidan (Secretary General of Zayed Higher Organization for People of Determination) and Dr Christoph Gutenbrunner MD (Professor of Rehabilitation Medicine, Hannover Medical School, Germany). In my address, ‘Breaking Barriers, Building Futures: Advancing Economic Empowerment for Women of Determination’, I shared the challenges and barriers to economic inclusion that women of determination are experiencing in the MENA region and every region, noting that the economic empowerment for women of determination – and importantly, for mothers of children of determination – is under explored with next to no data available to inform policy reform and progress.
Economic inclusion for women of determination is a priority for the Arab International Women’s Forum because we recognise that women with disabilities, as UN Women has found, ‘are often subjected to double discrimination due to their gender and disability and continue to be at a disadvantage in most spheres of society and development.’ Women and young people in the MENA region are the Arab world’s most precious resource and are integral to equitable, sustainable economic growth that can transcend social barriers and blaze a new trail for the next generation. Quite simply, without women – all women of all abilities – playing their rightful role in the economy and in society, the Arab world cannot achieve its full potential.
In my address, I called for empowering disabled women through economic inclusion and entrepreneurship which I see as crucial for several compelling reasons … from social justice and human rights to boosting economic development, growth and broader societal wellbeing. I also discussed the strategies required to strengthen, support and empower women & people of determination in the MENA workforce, starting with education – the most powerful tool we have for empowerment – and investing in opportunities for women’s labour market inclusion and social integration.
I also highlighted the need for governments to develop and enforce comprehensive anti-discrimination laws that specifically protect the rights of disabled women and work more closely with the private sector, to leverage their resources and knowledge, transforming business practices and labour laws to enshrine gender equality for all women, explicitly including women with disabilities. And lastly, a core recommendation from UN Women which we in AIWF fully endorse is that there should be deeper engagement between governments and the private sector with civil society actors, and importantly, with disabled women and girls themselves.
As always, AIWF stands ready to be a part of that process and looks forward to working with all committed stakeholders in the region and beyond to realise a future where every woman of determination can contribute, thrive, and live her full potential. For further information about the WCR, please visit https://wcri2024ad.com/
