Delivered By: Ms. Fatema Yousuf, Acting Deputy Permanent Representative

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I am grateful to UN Women for its continued support to the Commission and for the opportunity to place the spotlight on a demographic often sidelined in our global discourse: older women.  

In the United Arab Emirates, we believe that the empowerment of women of every generation is key to achieving gender equality. However, older women often face additional barriers due to the intersection of age and gender. 

So today, I would like to share some of the UAE’s initiatives aimed at achieving the equality and empowerment of older women.

First, in the context of this year’s priority theme of access to justice, the UAE has taken concrete steps to ensure that age is never a barrier to a woman’s legal protection. Through Federal Law No. (19) of 2022 on the Rights of Senior Emiratis, the UAE protects older women from discrimination and abuse, while guaranteeing her rights to housing, healthcare, and employment opportunities.

Complementing this law is the UAE’s National Policy for Senior Emiratis. This framework is designed to ensure that older citizens, including women, lead active lives in society, with full access to specialized services. A key component of this policy involves “Investing in Senior Emiratis’ Experience and Civic Participation,” which engages female retirees in an intergenerational mentorship program. By sharing their professional expertise with younger generations, this program keeps older women civically engaged and their intellectual capital utilized.

This leads me to my final point, [Madam] Chair: empowering women of all generations requires equipping them with the tools and skills they need to navigate today’s world. Under its National Policy, the UAE’s Ministry of Community Empowerment has established initiatives to provide modern skills training, such as digital literacy courses, to older women. This program helps to bridge the generational digital divide so senior Emirati women can access essential services and stay connected.     

Madam Chair,

The UAE will continue to advocate for policies that advance gender equality and empower women at every stage of their lives.  

Thank you, Madam Chair.