Etihad and UN Women join forces for women's advancement

Milestone partnership for the United Nations agency leading women’s empowerment

 Etihad has committed to engaging passengers, employees and the public to promote women's rights. Courtesy: Etihad

UN Women, the United Nations entity dedicated to gender equality, has teamed up with the UAE's national airline to empower women.

It means Etihad has committed to engaging passengers, employees and the public to promote women's rights across the globe.

Beginning in January, Etihad will carry the entity's "generation equality" campaign on its flights through in-flight entertainment and elsewhere.

It is the first ever collaboration between UN Women and an airline and it reinforces the UAE's longstanding commitment to women's rights.

Mouza Al Shehhi, director of the UN Women Liaison Office for the GCC, said it was delighted with the new partnership.

"More than 200 nationalities live in the UAE and Etihad’s employees come from over 150 countries. In essence, their focus on diversity, tolerance, sustainability and inclusion is a microcosm of the world and of the United Nations, making this a synergetic partnership for us.”

The partnership follows the launch of the UN Women-convened "Unstereotype Alliance UAE National Chapter", a platform to eradicate gender-based stereotypes in all media and advertising content. Etihad was a founding member of this initiative.

This collaboration comes at the end of a symbolic year for the global women’s rights movement as it marked 25 years since the adoption of the UN's "Beijing platform for action", where a comprehensive agenda for the empowerment of women and girls everywhere was developed.

The UAE has also been long committed to female empowerment. There are nine female ministers in the Cabinet, while women’s representation in the Federal National Council has risen to 50 per cent.

Dr Nadia Bastaki, vice president for medical services and corporate social responsibility at Etihad, said the airline was proud to be the first partner with UN Women.

"The airline takes an active role in supporting and empowering women throughout the organisation," said Dr Bastaki.

"In March this year, Etihad pledged to increase its female employees by 25 per cent by 2025 in the voluntary '25/25' campaign launched by the International Air Transport Association.