Dubai aims to encourage women's empowerment through online and digital tools at its first Global Women's Forum .
Taking place from Feb. 23 to 24, the forum will feature an impressive speaking list of international leaders including Christine Lagarde, managing director of the International Monetary Fund, Reem Ibrahim Al Hashimi, minister of state for the United Arab Emirates and Queen Rania of Jordan. A joint initiative between the Dubai Women Establishment and the Women's Forum for the Economy & Society, the event will take place at the Madinat Jumeirah Hotel and is being hailed as "the first-ever Women's Forum event in the Middle East and North Africa region," according to the DWE website .
Expecting more than 2,000 attendants and some 200 speakers, the forum will bring together leaders from around the world representing business, government, academia, art and culture. It will endeavor to promote women's empowerment and new ideas to further women's involvement in business, politics and all levels of society.
The forum will operate under the theme "Let's Innovate!" and will highlight ways that more women can become involved in leading the world forward. An initiative from Twitter under #PositionOfStrength will also provide a platform for women throughout the region to share their thoughts and concerns about women's issues in the Arab world.
"We truly believe in the democratising nature of the platform - Twitter can be a tool of empowerment for women to speak out from a position of strength online," Twitter's Head of Trust & Safety Outreach for Europe, the Middle East & Africa Kira O'Connor told Khaleej Times .
With the recent appointment of several women to prominent government posts, the UAE appears keen on demonstrating its commitment to increasing gender diversity in the government. The Global Women's Forum, along with the celebration of Emirati Women's Day in the UAE last year, builds on the government's initiative to address issues of gender inequality in society more broadly.