Burj Khalifa will support the UN Women’s global movement ‘HeForShe’, which aims to encourage men to support the campaign for gender equality.

Burj Khalifa will be joining several major landmarks in turning off half of its lights on the night of 25th September in support of the campaign, expressing solidarity with women, while providing a visual metaphor which illustrates the power lost when the world excludes half its population – women – from society.

The UAE has been a strong supporter of this initiative since its launch. H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, participated in the solidarity campaign organised by UN Women in New York during September 2014, in support of this initiative.

Noura Al Suwaidi, Director-General, General Women’s Union, GWU, said, “Women in the UAE have the unwavering support of our leadership, and the ongoing support of the Mother of the Nation, H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women’s Union, President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, and Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation, which has long realised that progress can only be achieved when women are educated, engaged and empowered to exercise their rights and fulfill their natural duty in all fields of work.”

She added, “This year, the cabinet adopted a resolution on women’s equality in rights and duties and their full participation alongside men in both public and private sectors. Last December, Mother of the Nation, Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak announced during the Gender Balance summit, that women in the UAE have achieved gender balance and effectively contribute to the country’s sustainable development, through active participation in all sectors.”

The UAE supports UN Women’s global campaign for gender equality and spreading its joint message on the vitality of men’s participation in achieving gender equality in line with the vision of Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak. The partnership between the UAE and UN Women has contributed to the inception of the UN Women UAE Liaison Office for the GCC, the first of its kind in the region, under the patronage of Her Highness, which aims to reinforce the UN’s efforts in providing services for women and girls everywhere.

Dr. Mouza Al Shehhi, Director of UN Women UAE Liaison Office for the GCC, said, “We are delighted that the UAE is participating in this global campaign to inspire action on gender equality. The UAE is a pioneer in championing women’s rights and has taken great strides towards gender equality, due to the unlimited support of H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak. This campaign is part of our ongoing efforts, to ensure that the entire public and especially men, not only celebrate the achievements, but also appreciate the struggles, which still face women today, and become part of the solution.”

The UN Women UAE office provides the necessary support for the UN aiding the implementation of strategies in the region, through partnerships and leveraging expertise and knowledge on gender equality and the empowerment of women. The office also provides policy advise and technical support for Gulf based institutions to support their efforts in various areas related to the empowerment of women.”

Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Actress and UN Women’s Global Goodwill Ambassador, Anne Hathaway, and Actor and Activist, Winston Duke are set to issue a global call to action for gender equality during the Summit that will take place alongside the UN General Assembly on September 26th. The Summit will bring together world leaders, activists and celebrities to introduce groundbreaking solutions to achieve gender equality around the world.

Leading up to the Summit, the HeForShe campaign features major landmarks globally including, the Empire State Building NYC, Bloomberg Tower NYC, Miami Building and Burj Khalifa in Dubai. These buildings will turn off half of their lights on the evening of 25th September (starting at 20:00 UAE Local Time GMT+4). By supporting causes which champion humanity, Burj Khalifa truly transcends its position as an iconic, modern landmark, to become a platform through which messages of great importance can be amplified. The Burj joins other iconic buildings around the world in supporting the #MorePowerfulTogether campaign and look forward to many successful collaborations with UN Women and its UAE Liaison Office.

Created by UN Women in 2014, the HeForShe solidarity movement has so far mobilised 1.7 million men as advocates for gender equality, generating more than 1.3 billion conversations on social media. Since its inception in 2010, the UAE has been a strong supporter of UN Women, and welcomed the inauguration of the UN Women UAE Liaison Office for the GCC in October 2016 through a Memorandum of Understanding between the General Women’s Union and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and UN Women under the patronage of H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak.