The UAE women’s advancement organisation launched the programme in Bangladesh that will help bring leadership skills to the nation’s local women and female Rohingya refugees … reports Asian Lite News.
The NAMA Women’s Advancement Establishment has launched the Girl Ambassadors for Peace programme, GA4P, in collaboration with the Global Network of Women Peacebuilders, GNWP, in Bangladesh. The programme will help bring leadership skills to the nation’s local women and female Rohingya refugees, as per the directives of H.H. Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Chairperson of NAMA and wife of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah.
The UAE women’s advancement organisation launched the programme, in the presence of Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Chairman of Sharjah Media Council, SMC. Sheikh Saqr bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Chairman of Sharjah Sports Council, Saed Mohammed Al-Muhairi, UAE Ambassador to Bangladesh, and Reem BinKaram, Director of NAMA, were also present during the GA4P launch.
The programme aims to train 400 young Bangladeshi women and girls, as well as Rohingya refugees residing in Bangladesh aged 16 years and above. According to a United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees report, UNHCR, females constitute 53 percent of the 900,000 Rohingya refugees in Bangladeshi camps, and the majority of families that identified with at least one vulnerability in Cox’s Bazar district are single mothers.
The first training session has been held in the Balukhali camp in Cox’s Bazar district.
The delegation also met with the programme’s participants, local leaders and representatives of socioeconomic organisations who highlighted the ways in which GA4P can unify efforts of local communities, civil society and international community organisations to empower women with professional skills, leadership qualities and other life skills, which will help them deal with crises, unemployment and growing violence and extremism in their local communities.
Regarding the programme, Reem BinKaram said, “NAMA’s strong outreach at both local and international levels results from the unwavering support and guidance of H.H. Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, and his wife, H.H. Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi. Their continued support has extended our reach into new territories, where we have amplified women’s voices and boosted their contributions to peacebuilding. Promoting GA4P is integral to the UAE’s humanitarian efforts. Through these efforts, we take Sharjah’s and the UAE’s humanitarian message to the world.”
The GA4P programme focuses on Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh and Indonesia, which hosts the largest number of people from this community who have suffered the worst modern-day exodus. The sufferings of Rohingya refugees are unprecedented and pose one of the largest challenges before UN organisations, as well as the international community.