Jawaher Al Qasimi launches the “NAMA Fund” supporting women and seed funded it with AED 10 million

Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Wife of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah, and Chairperson of the NAMA Women Advancement Establishment (NAMA), recently launched the ‘NAMA International Women Fund’ (NAMA Fund) and seed funded it with AED 10 million. The NAMA Fund seeks to mobilise financial and human resources required to elevate the status of women, and to support programmes for women's economic and professional empowerment, and invest in initiatives, which hone their skills in community development. 

The launch was announced by HE Ameera BinKaram, Vice Chairperson of NAMA and Chairperson of the Sharjah Business Women Council (SBWC), during a speech delivered on behalf of Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi during the “Launch of Women Peace and Security Focal Points Network” session at the UN Headquarters in New York City, organised on the sidelines of the 71st UN General Assembly.

Sheikha Jawaher stressed that the main objective of launching “NAMA Fund” is to support local, regional and international efforts that aim to enable women to realise their chosen roles, and pave their way to develop as economic, social and professional decision makers. Her Highness announced her seed funding of AED 10 million, equivalent to $ 2.7 million.

The NAMA fund, the first-of-its kind in the region, will support projects, initiatives and programmes tailored to empower women and advance their roles, not only in the UAE and the MENA region, but also the whole world. Supported specific women's empowerment programmes and initiatives will be selected by the NAMA Fund, in coordination with associate regional and international organisations. The targeted programmes are to expand the economic, social and professional opportunities for women, and aim towards developing an environment that will contribute to enrich the overall interpersonal skills of women, qualifying them to incorporate in the decision making process. 

The Fund will also finance local and regional awareness campaigns, which will educate people about the importance of women's role in the community development.

Sheikha Jawaher Al Qasimi shared that the launch of NAMA Fund aligns with the enduring efforts made by the UAE, and Sharjah in particular, since the UAE’s union in 1971 for women's empowerment and advancement, aiding them with the means to help them perform their essential developmental roles.

"In the UAE, we grew up as women blessed with the care and support of our founding father, Late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and his brothers, Their Highnesses the Rulers of the Emirates, who believed in women's essential and important roles as key partners in the development of the Union," Sheikha Jawaher emphasised.

In highlighting that the legacy of the late Sheikh Zayed has been keenly followed by UAE leaders, Sheikha Jawaher added, “The vision and efforts of Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak (Mother of the Nation), Chairwoman of the General Women’s Union, Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation and President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, has always been the driving force in motivating and stimulating Emirati women to make great strides, making her a global role model in the social, economic and professional spheres at home and the world.” 

Sheikha Jawaher Al Qasimi continued to say, "Societies that support and advance women are the societies that grant themselves a bright present and future. However, there are still many women around the world who suffer from gender discrimination in educational, economical, social and professional spheres. Other women are deprived from their minimum dues, attributed to crises and unrest in their countries. We, at the NAMA Fund, seek to be the supporters and continue to developing communities through women's advancement.”

Sheikha Jawaher Al Qasimi reiterated that women, with the strong faith in their capabilities and potential, they have proved themselves as inexhaustible resources, and as such are influential players in the development equation. As human capital they cannot be overlooked and dispensed.  "We strive through the new Fund to enable women to be vested with more economic and social strengths as well as with self- reliance to improve their living and financial conditions, besides strengthening their participation in making decisions that affect their needs, thus gaining access to an environment where they can get equal opportunities and eliminate the gender discrimination in all domains," Sheikha Jawaher clarified.

The announcement that the NAMA Fund will initially support “Girls Ambassadors for Peace”, a global programme implemented by the Global Network of Women Peacebuilders (GNWP), was made during the “Launch of Women Peace and Security Focal Points Network” session at the UN. The Girls Ambassadors for Peace programme will employ capacity building exercises for a group of girls in three countries, chosen to become ambassadors for peace and security in their respective communities. 

Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher Al Qasimi praised the support of Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, (Mother of the Nation), and the General Women's Union (GWU), to comply with the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on the protection of women from conflicts disasters and wars. Its full implementation, through the reform of discriminatory legislation and the development of early-warning systems, and the prosecution of violators of women's rights, provides women around the world with more security and peace, and protects them against disproportionate impact of disasters, conflicts and wars.

The launch of the NAMA Fund is a new step in the completion of NAMA Women Advancement Establishment’s structure. 

The NAMA Fund is launched a month before the second edition of ‘Investing in the Future’ (IFFMENA) conference, hosted by Sharjah and organised by The Big Heart Foundation and the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), on October 19 and 20, 2016, under the theme "Building the Resilience of Women and Girls in the Arab Region".

NAMA was launched under an Emiri Decree issued by His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, and with the blessing of Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women's Union (GWU) ‘Mother of the Nation’. Chaired by Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, NAMA aims to develop opportunities for women in the economic, professional and social sectors, and emphasize women's instrumental and indispensable role as important human capital in the development process. Both entities the Sharjah Business Women Council and Irthi Contemporary Crafts Council fall under the umbrella of NAMA Women Advancement Establishment.