“Gender Equality Today for A Sustainable Tomorrow” Panel Discussion at Princess Nourah University for International Women’s Day

On the occasion of International Women’s Day 2022, the United Nations in Saudi Arabia, in partnership with Princess Nourah University, held an event to celebrate advancements in gender equality in the Kingdom.

Speaking to the theme of this year’s international celebration “Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow”, which aims to recognize the contribution of women and girls around the world, who are leading the charge on climate change adaptation, mitigation, and response, to build a more sustainable future for all.

The event started with a youth dialogue to discuss the role of women and girls in climate  action, convened and moderated by UNICEF. The young leaders reflected on their journeys as climate advocates in Saudi Arabia and the transformative role of women in enshrining sustainability into Saudi society and its way of life, in support of the government’s climate pledges.

A following high-level dialogue with senior UN officials, prominent leaders at policy level from the government, academia, and civil society to create a space for a dialogue highlighting the progress that has been made in the GEWE agenda in KSA, and to identify key areas of collaboration and strategic partnerships to move forward.

H.E. Nathalie Fustier, United Nations Resident Coordinator in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, thanked Princess Nourah University for hosting the event and noted in her keynote speech “As a result of the progress made in the Kingdom, women’s rights have grown and expanded under the current leadership. Saudi women are more involved in society, government, and the private sector, enabling women and girls to have their voices heard and enabling their participation, and leadership, in climate decision-making.”

She also highlighted “Today's dialogue provides an opportunity to exchange views between the younger generation and decision makers on what should be done to promote the rights of women and girls and their role in combating climate change in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”

In the opening remarks, Dr. Maimoonah Al Khalil, Director of the National Observatory for Women at Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, noted that “Saudi women today are active participants in national development. In the past year alone, women have contributed to the realization of the goals of Vision 2030 as investors, inventors, engineers, military and security officers, technology developers, philanthropists, sports competitors, and leaders in various local and global organizations. Today’s panels discuss the progress made thus far in women empowerment in Saudi Arabia and the potential role for women and girls in climate change.”

“Women and girls are effective and powerful agents of change for climate adaptation and mitigation. Placing them in leadership and decision-making roles means more effective climate action. We will continue to work with national partners, the development community and the UN family here in Saudi Arabia and across the entire Arab region to continue giving women platforms to speak out, ensuring their opinions are heard and understood, and their concerns acted upon,” says Assistant Secretary-General and Regional Director of UNDP Arab States, Dr. Khalida Bouzar.  

“We will work to ensure women become equal decision-makers and provide them with opportunities to sit at the heart of innovative solutions to climate change, helping them take the lead in securing a sustainable tomorrow,” she added.