The United Arab Emirates has placed great emphasis on addressing issues related to violence against women through preventive measures, campaigns to raise awareness, protection, and policy initiatives. The UAE has strong policies on girls’ education, women’s legal rights, as well as the provision of treatment and rehabilitation support to victims, and it is continuing to develop a comprehensive policy on domestic violence

Ambassador Lana Zaki Nusseibeh, the UAE’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York, made the remarks at the Official Commemoration of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women yesterday at the United Nations Headquarters

In her speech, following UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, Ambassador Nusseibeh thanked Mr. Ban Ki-Moon for launching UNiTE, a campaign to eliminate violence against women, in 2008 and expressed her appreciation for the work of UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka and Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict Zainab Bangura, as well as all the distinguished speakers at the conference in standing up to violence against women across the world

She stated that despite the efforts being made, the prevalence of violence against women — in acts committed domestically, within the community, or by the state — remained too high in every corner of the world. She said, “When half the world’s population has to live in fear, live with the consequences of violence, or in the worst cases, lose their lives, this is not just a problem for women; it is a problem for all of us — families, communities, societies, states. If the act is global, the consequences are too.” Ambassador Nusseibeh discussed the need to adopt new strategies and approaches to address the root causes of the problem and enable women, as agents of their own empowerment and safety, to live without the threat of violence. She cited new evidence and data in support of comprehensive, participatory dialogue and programmes on gender relationships and the lack of acceptability in using violence