UAE Minister Of Energy And Infrastructure: Women's Contributions Necessary To Solve Future Challenges
Under the mayor's leadership, Bogota is also working toward designing a city that is safe for women and all citizens
Women have played an important role in driving the UAE’s key achievements, and their contributions are necessary to resolve future challenges, whether in urban planning or otherwise, highlighted His Excellency Suhail Mohamed Al Mazrouei, UAE Minister of Energy and Infrastructure at the Women’s World Majlis on Monday at Expo 2020.
“The UAE is leading the region when it comes to urban planning and as a nation with a view on the future of sustainability… and all our plans have women integrated in them. Today, 53.4 per cent of the ministry's workforce in specialised engineering which used to be a men’s field is women. We're doing this because we want to excel… and by not enabling women’s creativity, especially when it comes to urban planning, we know that we will lag behind. As a government we will continue to support gender balance because that will make us continue to lead not only the region, but hopefully, the world,” His Excellency Suhail Mohamed Al Mazrouei said during the event, which focused on ensuring women have access to resources.
Looking forward, His Excellency added: “Our aim for the future is to go at a speed that is 10 times that of our previous achievements of the [past] 50 years. This is necessary for us to cope with the challenges that are coming… And I know that we will be leading because we are enabling women and allowing them to be creative in their fields. These achievements wouldn't be possible without the role of Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, starting early in the nation’s beginnings [where she was] fighting for women’s rights, and the continuation of Her Highness Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, establishing the [Gender Balance] Council, and Her Excellency Mona Al Marri… We have benefited from the engagement [of women]; it is live, and it is within the DNA of us here in the UAE.”
Meanwhile, Claudia López, Mayor of Bogotá, Colombia – the first woman to hold the position – shared her experience of making the Colombian capital a ‘caring’ city. Using ‘Care Blocks’ that guarantee proximity to social services, the system aims to relieve women from being overburdened with unpaid care work, and enable opportunities for education, labour and income generation.
The Mayor of Bogotá said: “We are working on re-thinking our city, so that the gender approach permeates our planning strategy, and we can improve the quality of life for all citizens, particularly for women… We took advantage of a moment to envision a city where women can flourish, without barriers or fears, a city that can bring freedom and access to essential care services. A city with safe and greener public spaces is a good city for women, and for all.”
Under the mayor’s leadership, Bogotá is also working toward designing a city that is safe for women and all citizens, with features including bicycle routes, well-lit parks and public spaces, safer transport systems, and sidewalks free of obstacles.
A panellist addressing the Women’s World Majlis, which was held in collaboration with the Slovenia Pavilion, Jenny Elliot, Chartered Landscape Architect and Urban Designer, UK, echoed a similar sentiment: “I've always tried to incorporate the idea of pre-design community engagement and participation in my work, throughout the design process. It's important to understand that I experience a city in very different ways to somebody else, and we need to ensure we're always speaking with people and ensuring their voices are heard. Public spaces or cities should work if you're three years old or 93 years old, if you have different mobility needs, are neurodiverse or neurotypical, as well as whether you are female or male. There's a range of different perspectives and ways that we experience cities.”
The event, held at Expo 2020’s Women’s Pavilion in collaboration with Cartier, is part of Expo’s Urban & Rural Development Week, which explores how we must transform the way we move, build, consume and live in the habitats of the future. Urban & Rural Development Week runs until 6 November 2021.
