Emirati Women Day's theme 'Hand in Hand We Celebrate 50 Years'
The directive aligns with the announcement by President His Highness Sheikh
This year's theme carries profound national and social meaning, symbolising the participatory spirit that defines the UAE's approach to women's empowerment. It also affirms the need to continue advancing through collaboration across all segments of society.
The theme approval comes within the framework of the continued efforts led by the General Women's Union under the guidance of Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, since its establishment as a national institution supporting women's causes and affirming their central role in the UAE's development.
Through her visionary leadership, the Union has built an integrated system rooted in empowerment and anchored in the values of identity, solidarity, and community partnership.
Emirati Women's Day serves as a national occasion to take pride in the accomplishments of Emirati women and renew the pledge to work hand in hand with men, guided by the leadership's conviction that empowering women is empowering the nation, and that investing in women's potential is a driver of sustainable development and national advancement.
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Christi Parsons, Tribune News Service In our era, they might seem like performative gestures for the president. A quiet visit with the wife of a wounded soldier. A conversation with a battlefield nurse or a kitchen worker. A hand extended to a Black woman who had once been enslaved. Abraham Lincoln didn't publicise these moments, though. He prioritised them for personal reasons. Because even as he held the Union together with the force of his will — even as he buried his own child and bore the weight of a nation at war — he made time for mercy. He listened to the voices of those without power, a practice that steeled him for wielding his own. Empathy is getting a bad rap these days. Elon Musk recently declared it the 'fundamental weakness' of Western civilisation, summing up the ethos of the administration he just left. Even those who defend empathy speak of it mainly as a private virtue, not one that compels any particular action by public figures. 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And he took action on it, ultimately assisting the emancipation of 4 million people from bondage. Elected officials today can do likewise. They can reject the dogma of hatred in discussing immigration. They can surround themselves with advisers who, even if they favor downsising government, hold respect for public service and public servants. They can vote and act with care for those on the margins of society. But the work of public compassion isn't all on their shoulders. Each of us can train ourselves individually for compassion. A good first step is the one Lincoln modeled all his life. We can start today by using compassionate language, a practice that can lead to feeling it in the heart. Research shows language doesn't just express emotion — it can help shape it. Certain practices can actually increase activity in the neural networks that enhance empathy and emotional regulation. Showing empathy to others feels good, too. Compassion, as with charity, begins at home. Ultimately, though, we have a compassionate responsibility to one another. So what can we as individuals do to fulfill it? We can reach out to friends and family members with differing perspectives. We can try to talk, understand and share. We can reward kindness in those who seek our votes — this fall, next year and the two after that. We can help change the national tenor by changing our own.
