GWU launches second batch of Cyber Pulse Initiative for Women and Family

BU DHABI, 20th February, 2024 (WAM) -- The General Women's Union (GWU), in cooperation with the Cyber Security Council and Khalifa Empowerment Programme “Aqdar”, launched the second batch of the Cyber Pulse Initiative for Women and Family.

 

The event was held at the GWU headquarters in Abu Dhabi under the patronage of H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, the Mother of the Nation, Chairwoman of the General Women's Union (GWU), President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, and Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation (FDF).

 

The event included a panel discussion entitled "Artificial Intelligence in the Digital Space", with the participation of Dr. Mohamed al Kuwaiti, Head of the Cyber Security for the UAE Government, Advisor Dr. Ibrahim Al Dabal, CEO of Khalifa Empowerment Programme-Aqdar, and Ghalia Ali Al Mannai, Head of the Strategic and Development Affairs Committee at the General Women’s Union.

 

The event also witnessed the graduation ceremony of the first batch of the Cyber Pulse Initiative for Women and Family, which aimed to qualify female trainees of all ages. The trainees underwent specialised training to provide courses, workshops, and lectures targeting 50,000 community members.

 

The first batch achieved a great success by exceeding the target to reach more than 115,000 beneficiaries of the workshops and awareness publications. These were implemented to achieve the objectives of the initiative, which are to promote the culture of community responsibility, spread digital awareness and safe ways to use modern technologies positively, and consolidate women's participation in cybersecurity by forming teams of specialised female cadres in cybersecurity.

 

Noura Khalifa Al Suwaidi, Secretary-General of the GWU, said that building qualified female role models in the UAE is a continuous process and the secret behind the success of its development experience. This is thanks to the support of the wise leadership and the directives of H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, which the GWU works to translate into her vision to develop and qualify women in all fields and sectors. This is considered the basis for the success of the state's strategies and goals.

 

She congratulated the graduates of the first batch of the Cyber Pulse Initiative for Women and Family and wished them further success in serving and uplifting the nation.

 

Dr. Mohamed al Kuwaiti stressed that the increasing challenges in the field of cybersecurity require us all to spread the culture of cybersecurity among community members, especially families, in order to ensure our protection from electronic risks that are developing rapidly.

 

He said, in a statement on the occasion of the launch of the qualitative initiative, the Cyber Pulse for Women and Family, that this pioneering initiative comes within the framework of the wise leadership's keenness to enhance the role of Emirati women in various fields, including cybersecurity, which is a fundamental element in ensuring the security and stability of our digital society.

 

He pointed out that this initiative aims to enhance women's participation in the field of cybersecurity by qualifying and training them on the skills necessary to deal with cybersecurity threats, as ambassadors for future generations.

 

Ibrahim Al Dabal stressed that these initiatives come to enhance the quality of digital life in the UAE society, in line with the vision of the wise leadership and the follow-up and support of H.H. Lt. General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior and Chairman of the UAE Council for Digital Wellbeing.

 

He stressed the keenness to work in an integrated manner between national institutions to achieve sustainable development goals. He pointed out that the Cyber ​​Pulse initiative for women and the family is part of continuous efforts to achieve the highest levels of digital awareness for all members of society and to promote a safe environment for the digital world.

 

Ghalia Ali Al Mannai confirmed that the second batch targets 300,000 beneficiaries from community members during 2024. This will be done by training 120 female programme members to be able to provide 150 training workshops aimed at raising awareness among different segments of society. This is based on the keenness of the General Women's Union, in cooperation with its strategic partners, to double its previous efforts to come out with a larger and more beneficial achievement and service to the community.

 

She pointed out that it is planned to honour the most contributing entity to achieving the targets, as well as the most contributing individual to achieving the targets. She noted that participation will be opened for female residents of the country to join the programme.

 

She expressed the General Women's Union aims for the UAE to lead in empowering women in cybersecurity, with 33 entities joining the initiative to nominate women in various fields. The initiative focuses on spreading cybersecurity awareness in society and aligning with digital transformation. Plans include expanding the initiative to Arab countries, following directives from H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak to support women globally.