In a bid to acknowledge and empower women, Dubai's ever-famous Burj Khalifa was half-lit on Tuesday night to send the world a message: Without women, the world wouldn't function the same.
The move initiated by Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak - wife of late Sheikh Zayed, founder of the UAE - comes in support of "HeForShe", a global initiative created by UN Women.
"We are delighted that the UAE is participating in this global campaign to inspire action on gender equality," said Dr. Mouza Al Shehhi, director of UN Women UAE liaison office for the GCC, according to Gulf News.
The top of the tallest building in the world was dimmed to darkness while its lower part was lit in white, showing a visual contrast that illustrates what would happen if women were excluded from societies.
Sheikha Fatima - Chairwoman of the General Women's Union, Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation, and President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood - is one of the biggest supporters of women empowerment in the UAE.
In 2017, she was awarded the Agent of Change Award by UN Women "in recognition of her contributions and achievements in areas of women's empowerment and gender equality in the UAE and beyond".
"A woman is a partner in the fight, in the past, present, and future," said Sheikha Fatima
The UAE has been empowering women for years
In the UAE, the role of Emirati women in shaping and accelerating the pace of progress has been exemplary. Women hold 66 percent of government jobs in the Emirates, 30 percent of which are senior decision-making positions, making women's participation in the UAE Cabinet amongst the highest in the world, reflecting the strong position reached by Emirati women.
There are over 20,000 female entrepreneurs in the country, making up at least 10 percent of all Emirati entrepreneurs - a 58 percent growth since 2012. In 2015, Sheika Fatima sought to recognize the contributions - both current and in the past - that women have made for the nation, and inaugurated August 28 as Emirati Women's Day.
In 2017, the UAE ranked 120 out of 144 countries in a report by the World Economic Forum highlighting gender gaps around the world, and ranked No.2 in the Middle East when it comes to "wage equality for similar work".