Women’s Role in Promoting Peace and Coexistence Highlighted at Abu Dhabi Book Fair
Abu Dhabi, The Gulf Observer: The Muslim Council of Elders hosted a thought-provoking seminar titled “Women and the Building of a Generation Capable of Spreading the Values of Coexistence and Peace” at its pavilion during the 34th Abu Dhabi International Book Fair.
The session featured Sheikha Khulood Al Qassimi, Assistant Undersecretary at the UAE Ministry of Education, and Ambassador Nabila Makram, Former Egyptian Minister of Immigration and Egyptian Expatriates, drawing a diverse audience of intellectuals, researchers, and visitors.
Sheikha Khulood Al Qassimi emphasized that women are central—not supplementary—figures in shaping society. She described them as key agents in nurturing values such as empathy, acceptance, and peace, especially through their foundational role in family life. “Dialogue begins in the home,” she said, stressing the importance of mothers in cultivating open-mindedness and active listening in future generations.
She also pointed to the significant achievements of Emirati women, made possible through the enduring support of the UAE’s leadership—from the nation’s founding father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, to today’s leaders. Emirati women now make up 50% of the Federal National Council, over two-thirds of the public sector workforce, nearly 80% of the healthcare sector, and about 69% of university graduates.
The seminar underscored how women are essential to building a peaceful, tolerant future, shaping generations that embrace dialogue and coexistence in an increasingly complex world.
