Global Women's Forum Dubai to explore innovative digital tools to drive women's engagement and active participation from the MENA region online

Twitter partners with the first Women’s Forum event in the MENA region, introducing programme to ‘promote, preserve and protect women’s voices’

• Exclusive Social Media Partner Twitter to spotlight #PositionOfStrength - an initiative designed to provide a greater share of voice to women in the region and under-represented communities around the world

Shamsa Saleh: Twitter’s global #PositionOfStrength initiative at Global Women’s Forum Dubai will be a crucial platform for female Arab voices to be heard across the world, helping to break down inaccurate stereotypes of women in the Middle East

Kira O’Connor: We truly believe in the democratising nature of the platform - Twitter can be a tool of empowerment for women to speak out from a position of strength online

Dubai, 15 February 2016: Exclusive Social Media Partner for Global Women’s Forum Dubai, Twitter, is set to host a number of best practice and safety workshops and introduce its global initiative - #PositionOfStrength, a worldwide movement to engage and empower women online, at the event later this month. Co-organised by Dubai Women Establishment and the Women’s Forum for the Economy & Society, Global Women’s Forum Dubai will take place on 23-24 February 2016 at the Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai, under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai; and led by Her Highness Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of the UAE Gender Balance Council, President of Dubai Women Establishment and wife of HH Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, UAE.

The #PositionOfStrength initiative is designed to educate and advise women and under-represented communities on how to promote, preserve and protect their voices on Twitter and the wider digital space, in addition to providing women with the tools to create their own unique profile and develop an influential personal brand online.

During the interactive sessions at Global Women’s Forum Dubai - specifically created for women in the MENA region, Twitter ambassadors will facilitate networking opportunities for women to connect in person and encourage inspiring women to speak for 140 seconds on an issue related to women’s empowerment. The instructors will then provide practical hands-on advice and editorial assistance to equip women with the necessary tools to express these views on the global digital sphere, via Twitter, using the hashtag, #PositionOfStrength. 

#PositionOfStrength will be brought to Global Women’s Forum Dubai to provide a greater share of voice to Arab women in the region. Twitter launched this global initiative in Australia, for women’s safety and empowerment online - which has now extended to thousands of women. Twitter is now looking to replicate its success by working in partnership with inspiring women’s organisations across the globe to enable women to ultimately communicate from a position of strength. 

Kira O’Connor, Head of Trust & Safety Outreach for EMEA of Twitter, said: “We truly believe in the democratising nature of the platform - Twitter can be a tool of empowerment for women to speak out from a position of strength online.  We are excited to bring this initiative to Global Women’s Forum Dubai, where women in the MENA region will have the opportunity to actively promote their voice through our platform and to that end, in addition to Dubai; we will be rolling out this programme in Singapore and New York City in the coming months.”

Shamsa Saleh, CEO of Dubai Women Establishment (DWE) said: “Bringing innovative new media platforms to Global Women’s Forum Dubai is an essential part of the event - by establishing a creative environment for strong, enterprising and innovative women in our region to actively engage in global conversations. Twitter’s global #PositionofStrength initiative at Global Women’s Forum Dubai will be a crucial platform for female Arab voices to be heard with all women across the world, helping to break down inaccurate stereotypes of women in the Middle East.”

She continued: “We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Twitter for partnering with us and bringing such an important digital female-empowerment initiative to Global Women’s Forum Dubai. These innovative workshops will inspire women to voice their opinions globally online and encourage Arab women to become successful online influencers of strength and pillars of our nation - supportive of our aims at Dubai Women’s Establishment to foster women’s engagement and participation to provide real lasting socio-economic impact.”

Expected to attract more than 2,000 participants and 200 speakers and international delegates, Global Women’s Forum Dubai will bring together leaders from around the world - women and men - with the aim of considering new perspectives for today and tomorrow; creating a powerful, global network capable of boosting the influence of women throughout the world; conceiving innovative and concrete action plans to encourage women’s contribution to society; and promoting diversity in the business world.

The official Twitter hashtag of Global Women’s Forum Dubai is #GWFDubai.

Building on the theme “Let’s Innovate!”, Global Women’s Forum Dubai will explore what innovation really means in today's technology-focused era. The event will address women's sustainable role in this revolutionary world, with the aim of strengthening the influence of women globally, maximising their contribution to socio-economic development, and inspiring future generations of women to actively participate in nation-building. Global Women’s Forum Dubai will build on the theme of innovation through five key pillars, Achieving, Creating, Giving, Energising and Sustaining, addressing the sustainable role of women in innovation and building long-lasting networks designed to empower societies through women’s participation.

CEO Champions, a Women’s Forum for the Economy & Society initiative launched in 2010 to drive progress and accountability for women’s advancement in the private and public sectors, will also be part of Global Women’s Forum Dubai 2016, in addition to other key Women’s Forum initiatives such as Rising Talents, Women in Media, and the Cartier Women’s Initiative Awards. An official delegation of business and government leaders from Scandinavia will also be guests of honour at Global Women’s Forum Dubai.

Global Women's Forum Dubai is supported by local, regional and international organisations, including: Main Partner, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA); Strategic Partners, Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company Du and Dubai Holding; Leading Partner, Cartier; Strategic Media Partner, Dubai Media Incorporated; Official Carrier, Emirates Airline; Exclusive Social Media Partner, Twitter; International Media Partners, International New York Times, France Media Monde and France Culture; Radio Partner, Arabian Radio Network; Official Car Partner, Audi (Al Nabooda Automobiles); Partner of the Rising Talents Initiative, FGB; Support Partners, Thomson Reuters Foundation and DTCM; Discovery Partners, Guerlain and Airbus Group and Technology Partner, Lenovo.