SARA ALZAABI (ABU DHABI)
The "Women in a Changing World" conference, being held at the General Women's Union headquarters in Abu Dhabi until November 7, has assembled global experts to address challenges including cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and gender bias.
Held under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, the Mother of the Nation, Chairwoman of the General Women's Union (GWU), President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, and Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation, the event was organised by the GWU in collaboration with UN Women, along with the International Telecommunication Union, and At the first session, Lucie Berger, the EU Ambassador to the UAE, addressed the theme of "Cybersecurity and the Woman, Peace and Security in the Age of Artificial Intelligence."
She noted, "There are many opportunities for women in cyberspace, including in Parliament, but there are also significant risks. One key issue is that data is not neutral - therefore technology itself is not neutral."
Berger said the EU was promoting gender-inclusive technology and policy, aiming to counter bias through a human-centric approach, involving women in technology design and policy development.
"If cyberspace is not safe for women in daily life, it will not be safe for them in peace and security settings," she added.
She said EU policy recognised that emerging technologies and cybersecurity threats disproportionately impact women, infringing on their rights, and it was addressing these challenges through global partnerships.
The ambassador pointed out the critical obstacle of the funding gap, stating, "There is simply not enough financial support."
Gaelle Demolis Ebassa, a policy and programme specialist at UN Women's Asia Regional Office, addressed the complex challenges women face with cybersecurity and AI.
Ebassa cited recent research revealing women's under-representation in cybersecurity and digital governance roles, leading to policies and technologies that overlook gender-specific needs.
She also noted AI's positive possibilities, specifically its ability to monitor gender-based hate speech, anticipate natural disasters, and support peace processes. However, Ebassa cautioned that while AI has valuable applications, "we must remain vigilant against the risks of biased data and the echo chambers created by social media algorithms, which can reinforce existing beliefs and contribute to misinformation."
Dr. Bushra Al Balushi, Director of Governance and Risk Management at the Dubai Electronic Security Centre, told Aletihad, "I discussed gender balance in cybersecurity and the role of cybersecurity strategies in empowering women. I highlighted how the UAE, in general, has empowered women across various sectors, which is also reflected in cybersecurity. I also addressed the Dubai cybersecurity strategy, where we have a specific focus on social empowerment and community empowerment within cybersecurity."
"Women's empowerment in this domain is a critical objective for us to achieve," she added.
Dr. Al Balushi stressed the importance of empowering women in digital domains and cited STEM fields, noting that most university graduates are female, reflecting the UAE's leaders' commitment in this regard.
She said, "In this country, nothing is impossible. We have been given numerous opportunities; it is a matter of how we seize those opportunities to create the impact we aspire to have on our communities and our nation."
Speaking to Aletihad about the significance of the forum, Dr. Ebtisam Almazrouei, Chairperson of the UN's AI for Good Impact Initiative, said, "The importance of the conference lies in addressing the latest developments in advanced technology worldwide, especially artificial intelligence, and the effective role of women in leveraging this technology. At the same time, we also discussed how we can uphold fairness, accountability and ethics in artificial intelligence within the framework of cybersecurity, peace and both national and global security."
Dr. Almazrouei added: "Artificial intelligence will impact many economic sectors at both local and global levels. We must also consider the ethics of artificial intelligence and respect for human values in developing these advanced models."
In his remarks, Awadh Al Mur, AI Officer and HR Director at the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation, reiterated the UAE's commitment to gender representation, particularly in AI and cybersecurity.
He noted that "women now make up a growing percentage of the UAE's workforce in technology and AI," but stressed that bridging the gender gap remains a priority.