major driving force behind the rise of the country.

Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak paid tribute to the burgeoning role of women in society to mark Emirati Women's Day, a landmark occasion in the UAE calendar which she launched in 2015.

Sheikha Fatima, chairwoman of the General Women's Union and president of the Supreme Council for Motherhood, praised the efforts of the country's leadership to enable women to break down barriers and play an integral part in shaping the future of the Emirates.

She highlighted the directive by UAE President Sheikh Khalifa to ensure the Federal National Council is represented equally by men and women after the upcoming elections as a shining example of progressive policy.

"The chosen slogan of our celebration, ‘Women are Icons of Tolerance,’ is a real reflection of the real nature of women, who are always compassionate and tender and deal with others with softness and kindness, because they are mothers and educators, especially the educated young women who always aspire to reach the highest levels of science," said Sheikha Fatima.

In 2017, Sheikha Fatima, widow of the late founding President of the UAE, Sheikh Zayed was honoured by UN Women, a global champion for gender equality.

She said UAE rulers were following in the footsteps of Sheikh Zayed, who laid the groundwork for a society that encourages the contributions of all its members, regardless of gender.

"Our leadership have made the decision to give women everything they deserve and enabled them to participate with men in all areas of work," she said.Sheikha Fatima said Emirati women should be proud of their achievements and called on them to continue to be equal partners in the ongoing development of the UAE.

She said women in the country can be inspiring role models who make an impact on both the regional and global stage.

Pinpointing the country's sharp focus on female empowerment, she heaped praise on the success of a UAE initiative to train a group of Arab women in peacekeeping operations.

The scheme was successfully completed in partnership with the UN Women, UAE Ministry of Defence and the General Women's Union, and graduated 134 women representing seven Arab countries.

"This is what we have achieved. We are moving into the second phase of this experiment to train another group of women in Africa and Asia," she said.