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The second edition of the ‘Investing in the Future’ conference (IIFMENA) is to host an elite group of international women leaders who will enrich the discussion panels by sharing their inspiring experiences and success stories in the field of women’s advocacy and empowerment.
Among the luminaries participating at the event, which takes place in Sharjah on October 19-20, are H.E. Rula Bibi Gul Ghani, First Lady of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan; H.E. Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi, Minister of State for Tolerance, Priti Patel, UK Secretary of State for International Development; Hina Rabbani Khar, Pakistani stateswoman, activist and former Foreign Minister of Pakistan; and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, Pakistani journalist, filmmaker, activist and recipient of two Academy Awards for ‘Best Documentary - Short Subject.’
Commenting on the inclusion of the illustrious invitees at the conference, the Mariam Al Hammadi, Director of ‘Salam Ya Seghar,’ an initiative from The Big Heart Foundation, said; “There are innumerable success stories that reveal how female leaders play a key role in the process of cultural transformation and sustainable development. These examples represent the greater number of unrecognised efforts of women across the globe to ensure that their female peers are having equal opportunities in education, employment and decision-making.”
H.E. Rula Ghani is the First Lady of Afghanistan and the wife of the President of Afghanistan, Mohammad Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai. In what was an unprecedented move for an Afghan politician, Ghani subsequently assigned an office at the presidential palace to her, where she now plays a ground-breaking role as the First Lady of Afghanistan, challenging Afghan traditions.
USA’s Time Magazine named H.E. Rula Ghani as one of the top 100 influential people worldwide in 2015, in recognition of her efforts in changing the perception of women in her country.
H.E. Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi became the first Emirati woman in UAE history to assume a cabinet position when she was appointed as Minister of Foreign Trade in 2004. Following a further two ministerial appointments, she was invited to become Minister of State for Tolerance in the UAE, a role created earlier this year. In addition to her ministerial portfolio responsibilities, Sheikha Lubna holds several distinguished positions, including President of Zayed University. She serves on a number of local and international public and private organisation’s governing boards; including The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation, The Emirates Foundation for Youth Development and the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at The National University of Singapore.
Her Excellency was featured in Forbes Magazine as 42nd on their list of the 'World’s Most Powerful 100 Women for 2015' and was also included in the Wall Street Journal’s ‘The Most Important 50 International Women to Watch.’ In addition, Sheikha Lubna was the first Emirati to receive The Clinton Global Citizen Award from the Clinton Global Initiative.
Priti Patel is UK Secretary of State for International Development at the Department of International Development. Born in London to a Ugandan Indian migrant family, Patel joined the Conservative Party after switching allegiance from the Referendum Party. She was elected as the Conservative Member of Parliament for the seat of Witham at the 2010 general election.
Pakistani political activist Hina Rabbani Khar, former Foreign Minister of Pakistan 2011-2013, is the first woman and the youngest person to have held the position. She entered the world of politics when she joined the Pakistan Peoples’ Party and in July 2001 was appointed by Yousaf Raza Gillani, former Prime Minister, as Foreign Minister. She became a member of the National Assembly in 2002 and in 2009 took on the role of Minister of State for Finance and Economic Affairs, becoming the first Pakistani woman to present the national budget.
Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, Pakistani journalist, and director was awarded the ‘Hilal-e-Imtiaz,’ the second highest civilian honour given by the government of Pakistan. She is the first woman in Pakistan to receive two Academy Awards. In 2012 she won in the ‘Best Documentary – Short Subject’ category for her film ‘Saving Face,’ which dealt with acid attacks on women in Pakistan. This year she won again in the same category for her film ‘‘A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness,’ which discussed honour killings in her country.
The second edition of Investing in the Future is being organised by The Big Heart Foundation - a Sharjah-based humanitarian organisation dedicated to helping refugees and people in need worldwide - and the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, also known as UN Women. This year’s conference is being held under the theme ‘Building the Resilience of Women and Girls in the Arab Region.’
Investing in the Future seeks to highlight the importance of women’s inclusion in the economic development process. It focuses on providing them with support and meeting their needs in education, training, employment, and access to resources; especially for female-headed families in light of the social and economic restrictions imposed on women in many countries across the world.
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