Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (DEWA) | Quotes from DEWA’s female leaders on Emirati Women’s Day 2021

Quote by Khawla Al Mehairi, Executive Vice President of Strategy and Government Communications at DEWA, on the occasion of Emirati Women’s Day 2021

“Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) works to provide all necessary support for female employees to turn challenges into opportunities and keep pace with change. This is in accordance with the ‘National Strategy for Empowerment of Emirati Women’ and the wise leadership’s vision to achieve development in society by empowering women. This enhances their role in shaping the future to achieve the UAE Centennial 2071 to make the UAE the world’s leading nation. Every day, Emirati women prove their competence in national work and consolidating DEWA’s achievements. Early on, DEWA realised the importance of providing all means to empower female employees to make a positive and sustainable impact. It was one of the first government entities in Dubai to engage women in decision making, making it a role model for the public and private sectors locally and globally. DEWA is one of the most prominent government entities to support women in the energy sector, especially in renewable energy and sustainability. DEWA was one of the first to establish nurseries in support of working mothers and now has the largest number of kindergartens among government entities in Dubai,” said Khawla Al Mehairi, Executive Vice President of Strategy and Government Communications at DEWA.

“At DEWA, we believe in maintaining the social fabric and cohesion by integrating the roles of men and women. We believe in gender equality and provide a competitive environment built on efficiency, excellence, recognition and dedication, following the highest local and global standards. This supports the UAE’s efforts to become a model for women leadership locally and globally. We aim to build on the success achieved in several international indices. The UAE has topped the MENA rankings in the World Bank’s newly released 2021 ‘Women, Business and the Law’ (WBL) report. It has also been ranked 18th globally and 1st regionally in the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) 2020 Gender Inequality Index (GII). It also ranked first across the Arab world in the World Economic Forum (WEF) Global Gender Gap Report for 2021. The UAE also ranked first globally in four of the report’s indicators. The success and gains demonstrate 50 years of excellence, leadership, and building on gender capacity. This ensures our expansion and engagement in sustainable development, making the UAE’s experience an inspiration globally,” added Al Mehairi.

Quote by Fatima Al Jokar, Chairperson of DEWA Women’s Committee, on the occasion of Emirati Women’s Day 2020

“Since its launch in 2010, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) Women’s Committee strives to achieve the vision of the UAE’s wise leadership and DEWA’s top management to empower Emirati women as key partners, with new achievements in society in all sectors. This is by providing psychological, professional and social support for all female employees in a motivational, happy environment with balance in their professional and personal lives. This contributes to creating cohesive families and society that is capable of adjusting to emerging changes. Throughout the year, the Committee launches several programmes to encourage female employees, recognise their achievements, unleash their potential and highlight their social and voluntary work. These include the ‘Edhaa’ initiative, ‘#your day… as an engineer’ programme, ‘Together we learn,’ and ‘Choose the Challenge’ programmes. The Committee spares no effort in helping female employees meet their responsibilities to the fullest. It also promotes loyalty and communication among them to maintain their position as role models for national work and effective contributors to sustainable development. Furthermore, the Committee works to enhance DEWA’s global position and leadership in all areas,” said Fatima Al Jokar, Chairperson of DEWA Women’s Committee.

“Our work is not limited to internal activities but also includes benchmarking and sharing experiences with national and international organisations in women empowerment. The Committee works to enhance ties with its partners at all entities concerned with family wellbeing. The Committee promotes constructive collaboration with private entities working on the social and cultural aspects of women, in addition to public and charitable associations to underline its supportive role to society. The Committee strives to participate in events at local and international organisations and organises several throughout the year that cover many aspects of women’s lives. The Committee organises workshops and lectures on health, safety, environment, sustainability, family, dealing with people, self-development, family management, social gatherings, leisure programmes, and gets feedback for improvement from interactive sessions,” added Al Jokar.

Quote by Amal Koshak, Vice President of Marketing and Corporate Communications at DEWA, on the occasion of Emirati Women’s Day 2021

“Affirmed that DEWA’s female employees have managed to make a difference and prove that women are critical and influential partners in development. “Early on, DEWA realised the importance of providing all capabilities to empower its female employees to make a sustainable and positive change. It is one of the leading government organisations in Dubai for engaging women in the decision-making process. This makes DEWA a role model for public and private government organisations inside and outside the UAE. Statistics show that women represent 32% of employees in renewable energy, compared to 22% in conventional energy sectors such as oil and gas. DEWA spares no effort in providing opportunities and overcoming challenges to enhance gender equality as part of the global transformation of the energy sector. DEWA is also committed to building on previous achievements by Emirati women as key partners in the sustainable development process and of DEWA’s renowned global position,” said Amal Koshak, Vice President of Marketing and Corporate Communications at DEWA

Quote by Dr. Aaesha Alnuaimi, Director of Solar Innovation Centre, on the occasion of Emirati Women’s Day

“Dubai Electricity and Water Authority’s (DEWA’s) Innovation Centre at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park supports DEWA’s keenness to invest in innovation by promoting sustainable development in its three aspects; environmental, economic, and social. The Centre reflects DEWA’s top management efforts to build and expand the capabilities of the next generation of innovators in clean energy technologies, develop and promote national capacity, and raise awareness on sustainable energy. The Emirati female employees at the Innovation Centre enhance DEWA’s position as one of the most prominent national organisations that support women in the energy sector, especially renewable and clean energy and sustainability, and in empowering society through women by their participation in all development sectors.” Said Dr. Aaesha Alnuaimi, Director of Solar Innovation Centre