Abu Dhabi, Dec 6 (Emirates 247): The Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, visited the headquarters of the General Women’s Union, GWU, and attended the launch of national initiatives honouring and documenting the achievements of Emirati women.

He also reviewed the GWU’s key projects and initiatives, which aim to implement the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan to document the overall achievements and contributions of Emirati women.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid was accompanied, during this visit, by H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance, H.H. Lt. General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, and Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance, and several ministers.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed then attended the launch of the "Emirati Women’s Encyclopaedia," which aims to document the overall achievements and successes of Emirati women, coinciding with Sheikh Mohammed’s visit to Al Jawhara Hall Museum of the GWU, where Noura Al Suwaidi, Director of the GWU, briefed him about the museum’s collection.

The museum houses over 800 medals and shields that were given to H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women's Union, President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, and Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation, in appreciation of her ongoing efforts to empower women and for her various humanitarian services.

"Sheikha Fatima has continued the efforts of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan to empower women, as well as support and reinforce the position of Emirati women within the Emirati community and around the world," H.H. Sheikh Mohammed said.

"We are proud of the achievements and initiatives of Sheikha Fatima, the Mother of the UAE, and her efforts to continue the approach of Sheikh Zayed to empower Emirati women," he added.

The encyclopaedia was launched with the blessings of Sheikha Fatima, who stressed that the encyclopaedia is a medal of honour for Emirati women.

"The UAE government is following in the footsteps of Sheikh Zayed in empowering women," Sheikha Fatima added.

The encyclopaedia, which is a historic step in involving official authorities, specialists and scholars in documenting all information on Emirati women, includes over 188 participating authorities and over 60,000 Emirati women. It also aims to reinforce the effective coordination and integration between relevant government and private sector authorities concerned with women’s empowerment and monitoring activities, events and initiatives that aim to empower women and identify world indexes, to measure the UAE’s progress in achieving women’s empowerment.

The GWU has, since its establishment, adopted policies, plans and programmes and launched initiatives that aim to reinforce the position of women, raise their capacities, and enable them to overcome the obstacles facing their participation in all areas of life.