Dubai Cares, the UAE-based philanthropic organization working to provide children access to quality primary education in developing countries, reiterated the power of the educated woman on the occasion of International Women’s Day (March 8th).
Dubai Cares places emphasis on gender equality across all its educational programs and interventions in developing countries; and actively works towards securing equal opportunities for boys and girls to safe learning environments with adequate facilities, materials and academic support from qualified teachers and engaged communities.
Lauding the key role of woman in this day and age, Tariq Al Gurg, Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Cares said: “Educated women are actively participating if not leading and driving positive change in every sphere; be it politics, business, arts, sports, etc. Yet, one of the biggest challenges we have faced in the countries we work in is getting parents invested in girls’ education. We constantly emphasize the ripple effect of positive change that can be achieved by educating girls. An educated woman is an invaluable national asset as education not only empowers girls to break the cycle of poverty but also equips them to change attitudes and raise a generation of enlightened, responsible global citizens.”
Underscoring Dubai Cares commitment to facilitating girls’ education, Al Gurg concluded: “We recently committed an approximate total of AED 22 million (USD 6 million) worth of programs to girls education in the Philippines, Mozambique and South Sudan over the course of four years. Through our initiatives we aim to reduce the physical barriers to education; improve the quality, relevance and gender sensitivity of teaching and transform the school environment to a safer, more supportive and girl-friendly one.”
Dubai Cares was established in 2007 by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum to give children in developing countries - regardless of their gender, nationality, creed or religion – access to quality primary education. The organization is overseen by a Board of Directors, led by the Chairperson, Her Excellency Reem Al Hashimy, UAE Minister of State.
To date, Dubai Cares is reaching more than 8 million children in 31 developing countries, building and renovating over 1,500 schools and classrooms, providing more than 1,000 water wells and potable water sources, constructing over 3,000 latrines in schools, providing nutritious food every day to more than 500,000 children in schools. The organization has also been instrumental in training over 23,000 teachers, keeping more than 2.3 million children free from illness such as intestinal worms through its de-worming activities, distributing over 2.1 million books written in local languages and establishing over 6,750 Parent-Teacher Associations.