UAE Gender Balance Council Meets with the First Lady of the Republic of the Philippines to Discuss the Launch of the “Women’s Leadership Program”

The UAE Gender Balance Council today held a high-level meeting with H.E. Louise Araneta Marcos, First Lady of the Republic of the Philippines. The meeting formed part of a strategic partnership reflecting the strength of bilateral relations between the UAE and the Republic of the Philippines.

The meeting, organised in collaboration with the Government Knowledge Exchange Office, was attended by H.E. Abdullah Nasser Lootah, Deputy Minister of Cabinet Affairs for Competitiveness and Experience Exchange, and H.E. Mouza Al Suwaidi, Secretary General of the UAE Gender Balance Council. The discussions focused on advancing joint cooperation and activating the exchange of knowledge and expertise in support of government development and leadership capacity-building.

Launch of the Women’s Leadership Program

The discussions focused on the Women’s Leadership Program, launched by H.H. Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of the UAE Gender Balance Council, wife of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister, and Chairman of the Presidential Court. The program is scheduled to take place in April 2026 under the Knowledge Exchange Agreement between the two countries, reflecting their shared commitment to strengthening leadership capabilities and enhancing women’s representation in decision-making positions.

Expected Impact

The program aims to strengthen women’s leadership pathways in the Philippines by developing leadership capabilities and exchanging best practices. It seeks to enhance institutional readiness among women leaders in both the public and private sectors, promote the adoption of practical and scalable governance models, support the development of emerging leaders, and expand the pool of qualified female talent, delivering lasting institutional and societal impact.

This engagement aligns with the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the UAE and Philippines to enhance government systems and support development through knowledge exchange across priority sectors, covering the period from February 2025 to February 2028.

A Partnership Shaping Future-Ready Governments

During the meeting, H.E. Louise Araneta Marcos, First Lady of the Republic of the Philippines, expressed her appreciation to the UAE, emphasizing that the partnership represents a key pillar in enhancing governments’ readiness for future challenges, stating: “We greatly value our strategic partnership with the United Arab Emirates, with which we share the aspiration in advancing women’s leadership and building institutional capacities.

We are eager to explore new areas of collaboration that will strengthen shared development and translate women’s empowerment into tangible results. Knowledge-sharing initiatives are especially important, as they allow us to add new knowledge and fresh perspective, recognizing both countries’ experience in creating practical, actionable programs, defining clear leadership pathways, and turning lessons into concrete steps within our institutions.

I am pleased to reaffirm the Philippines’ commitment to advancing the ‘Women’s Leadership Support Program’ as a hands-on platform that maximizes the impact of this partnership at both institutional and societal levels.”.”

She further affirmed the Philippines’ commitment to moving forward with the Women’s Leadership Program as a practical framework that strengthens the impact of this cooperation at both institutional and societal levels.

H.E. Louise Araneta Marcos also commended the broader cooperation between the governments of the UAE and the Philippines, particularly through the Government Knowledge Exchange Program, praising efforts to design and implement high-impact initiatives that enhance the capabilities of government and female leaders, reflecting the strength of bilateral relations and a shared vision for human capital development and institutional excellence.

Knowledge Exchange as a Catalyst for Sustainable Impact

 Her Highness Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of the UAE Gender Balance Council, wife of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister, and Chairman of the Presidential Court, emphasized the importance of this constructive collaboration, stating: “The partnership between the UAE and the Republic of the Philippines embodies a solid model of international cooperation based on trust, knowledge exchange, and institutional capacity-building.”

She highlighted that exchanging knowledge and expertise between countries is a key pathway to achieving sustainable impact, through the development of more inclusive and effective policies and strengthening institutional readiness to keep pace with future transformations.

High-Level Delegation

The UAE is set to host a high-level delegation comprising 20 to 25 government leaders from the Republic of the Philippines, including ministers and senior officials from both the public and private sectors. The specialized program reflects the depth of bilateral relations and aims to enhance cooperation in government leadership and institutional capacity-building, while supporting women’s empowerment and expanding their presence in decision-making roles. The initiative will also provide a platform for institutional dialogue and knowledge exchange on policies and practices that advance women’s leadership across sectors.

A Sustained Commitment

 In this context, Her Excellency Mona Ghanem Al Marri, Vice President of the UAE Gender Balance Council, stated: “The launch of the Women’s Leadership Program reflects the UAE’s firm commitment to strengthening international cooperation and knowledge exchange in the field of women’s empowerment and leadership, contributing to policy development, enhanced institutional readiness, and the creation of sustainable leadership pathways with long-term impact.”

Meanwhile, Her Excellency Mouza Mohammed Al Ghuwais Al Suwaidi, Secretary-General, said: “The Women’s Leadership Program has been designed to translate the UAE’s gender balance and women’s empowerment priorities into practical outcomes through an integrated institutional approach. Achieving lasting positive change cannot be accomplished by a single entity alone; it requires effective partnerships and ongoing coordination between the public and private sectors, as well as civil society institutions.”

An Expanding Partnership

 The governments of the UAE and the Republic of the Philippines strengthened their partnership in February 2025 through the Government Knowledge Exchange Office, which plays a pivotal role in facilitating the exchange of knowledge and expertise in government excellence, performance development, institutional and leadership capacity-building, and innovation—supporting the achievement of sustainable development impact.