ABU DHABI, 28th January, 2026 (WAM) -- Suhair Al Ali, Vice President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean and Chair of the Second Standing Committee, affirmed that empowering women is a strategic choice to support countries’ efforts to consolidate stability and build prosperous, cohesive societies capable of facing challenges.
In a statement to the Emirates News Agency (WAM) on the sidelines of the second session of the Women Parliamentarians Forum of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean, hosted by the UAE and organised by the Federal National Council (FNC), Al Ali said that the UAE’s experience in empowering women represents a pioneering model at both the regional and international levels.
She praised, in this regard, the important decision taken by the UAE to raise the percentage of women’s representation in the FNC to 50 percent, which reflects a firm belief in the role of women as essential partners in decision-making and sustainable development.
She added that empowering women politically, economically, and socially, and achieving the principle of equality, constitute a main pillar for enhancing security and societal peace. She emphasised that involving women in development efforts across various sectors directly supports development policies in countries around the world.
Al Ali pointed out that strengthening regional and international parliamentary cooperation contributes to the exchange of successful experiences and unification of efforts to support women’s empowerment issues. She stressed the importance of the role played by parliaments in enacting legislation and monitoring public policies to ensure effective and sustainable participation of women in various sectors.
She also praised the Federal National Council for hosting the conference and its constant commitment to supporting constructive parliamentary dialogue on women’s issues.