In 1993, only 1 per cent of all deployed uniformed personnel were women. That means that in a year that saw military action from Rwanda to Bosnia to Afghanistan, almost all of it was carried out by men. It is a similar picture today.
This minimal participation does not mean that women avoid the terrible effects of conflict; in some regards, they feel it the worst. Women in conflict zones are 50 per cent more likely to experience domestic violence. Sexual violence as a weapon of war, child marriage and people trafficking – abuses that spike in the lawlessness of conflict – disproportionately affect women and girls, too.
It is a reality Lt Remadji Stephanie knows all too well. Her country, Chad, is under constant threat from Boko Haram, a terrorist group that targets women and girls in particular as it seeks to deny them getting an education.
Overcoming this injustice and lack of balance will take a long time and a great deal of effort. But UN Women has been taking significant steps over the years, as it tries to understand the problem through women's eyes, and eventually make them an integral part of the solution.
Having more female peacekeepers is a key strategy. The term refers to UN-affiliated personnel who enter conflict zones to maintain peace and stability, under three principles, "consent of the parties, impartiality and non-use of force except in self-defence and defence of the mandate".
Gradually, more and more women have filled the organisation's ranks. In 2012, they made up 3 per cent of military and 10 per cent of police personnel in UN peacekeeping operations.
There is a strategic urgency to boost these numbers. The UN has also gathered data that shows the concrete benefits of inclusive peace-building. According to the organisation, a peace agreement in which women are involved is 20 per cent more likely to last for two years.
Now, women such as Lt Stephanie are being given the chance to participate in the wider mission of UN peacekeeping at the UAE's Khawla bint Al Azwar Military School, the region’s first women’s military college. “I am determined to go back home to help end the terrorism and violence we face at the hands of Boko Haram, not through violence but through peace,” she says.
The Emirates has so far trained 357 female cadets from all over the world. Today's class has members from Yemen, Senegal and Pakistan, to name only a few of the nationalities present.
It is also advocating for more women in peacekeeping at the highest diplomatic tables. The UAE currently has a non-permanent seat at the UN Security Council. A key goal for the country during its tenure has been implementing Security Council Resolution 1325, the first landmark Security Council resolution that specifically encompassed the role of women in maintaining peace and security.
The council is designed to be a forum for preventing international conflicts. But it, and the wider UN, is fundamentally there to maintain peace and security It is a tough mandate, but with the data in and so much willingness on the part of women to participate, getting more female peacekeepers is a strategy worth pursuing.
The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh12 million
Engine 8.0-litre quad-turbo, W16
Gearbox seven-speed dual clutch auto
Power 1479 @ 6,700rpm
Torque 1600Nm @ 2,000rpm 0-100kph: 2.6 seconds 0-200kph: 6.1 seconds
Top speed 420 kph (governed)
Fuel economy, combined 35.2L / 100km (est)
INDIA'S%20TOP%20INFLUENCERS
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RESULTS
2pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (Dirt) 1,200m
Winner: Najem Al Rwasi, Fabrice Veron (jockey), Ahmed Al Shemaili (trainer)
2.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Fandim, Fernando Jara, Majed Al Jahouri
3pm: Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,700m
Winner: Harbh, Pat Cosgrave, Ahmed Al Mehairbi
3.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,700m
Winner: Wakeel W’Rsan, Richard Mullen, Jaci Wickham
4pm: Crown Prince of Sharjah Cup Prestige (PA) Dh200,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Jawaal, Fernando Jara, Majed Al Jahouri
4.30pm: Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Cup (TB) Dh200,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Tailor’s Row, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
Business Insights
- As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses.
- SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income.
- Larger entities have specific provisions for asset and liability movements, business restructuring, and handling foreign permanent establishments.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The biog
Family: wife, four children, 11 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren
Reads: Newspapers, historical, religious books and biographies
Education: High school in Thatta, a city now in Pakistan
Regrets: Not completing college in Karachi when universities were shut down following protests by freedom fighters for the British to quit India
Happiness: Work on creative ideas, you will also need ideals to make people happy
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
The specs: 2018 Infiniti QX80
Price: base / as tested: Dh335,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 400hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 560Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.1L / 100km
MATCH INFO
Liverpool 0
Stoke City 0
Man of the Match: Erik Pieters (Stoke)
Company Profile
Company name: Fine Diner
Started: March, 2020
Co-founders: Sami Elayan, Saed Elayan and Zaid Azzouka
Based: Dubai
Industry: Technology and food delivery
Initial investment: Dh75,000
Investor: Dtec Startupbootcamp
Future plan: Looking to raise $400,000
Total sales: Over 1,000 deliveries in three months
The five pillars of Islam
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
MORE ON TURKEY'S SYRIA OFFENCE
JERSEY INFO
Red Jersey
General Classification: worn daily, starting from Stage 2, by the leader of the General Classification by time.
Green Jersey
Points Classification: worn daily, starting from Stage 2, by the fastest sprinter, who has obtained the best positions in each stage and intermediate sprints.
White Jersey
Young Rider Classification: worn daily, starting from Stage 2, by the best young rider born after January 1, 1995 in the overall classification by time (U25).
Black Jersey
Intermediate Sprint Classification: worn daily, starting from Stage 2, by the rider who has gained the most Intermediate Sprint Points.
MATCH INFO
Europa League final
Who: Marseille v Atletico Madrid
Where: Parc OL, Lyon, France
When: Wednesday, 10.45pm kick off (UAE)
TV: BeIN Sports
The Vines - In Miracle Land
Two stars
