‘We need to empower women to exercise their rights’, says AWO

 Fourth AWO conference was held in Algiers on Sunday The Arab Women Organisation\'s executive council has today confirmed Dr Sheikha Al Shamsi as the new director general of the pan-Arab women organisation succeeding Wadouda Badran for a four-year term in office.
Speaking at the conclusion of the 4th AWO congress held in Algiers yesterday, UAE national Dr Al Shamsi acknowledged the current historic stage that many Arab nations are passing through as \'\'delicate\'\'. She urged Arabs across the region to share expertise and devise plans to address the challenges facing Arab women, whether its poverty and violence or lower educational and health rates.
\'\'Sound planning, joint solidarity and mobilisation of collective efforts are the best ways to overcome challenges and ensure the development of Arab women.  We need to empower women to exercise their rights and duties as well as to safeguard their dignity and protect them from violence,” said Dr Al Shamsi.
She also paid tribute to HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, chairperson of the General Women\'s Union and of the Family Development Foundation, for her great support for development of women in the UAE.
Al Shamsi has often been lauded as prominent figure in UAE women’s rights after decades of campaigning for better education and stronger financial rights for Arab women.
After receiving a PhD in economics from the University of Cairo in 1990, Al Shamsi assumed several leading economic and educational roles as a researcher, author and university professor in higher education institutions throughout the UAE.