Emirati Women’s Day: A Nostalgic Journey for the Chairperson of EEG
August 29 2016 - 5:08AM
Business Wire
Habiba Al Marashi, Chairperson of Emirates Environmental Group
(EEG) and President of Arabia CSR Network, looks back at her
journey which began 25 years ago. She recalls stepping into a male
dominated territory that questioned her decision to stride away
from a stable and safe career option to set up an NGO at a time
when civil society activism was an unfamiliar territory in the UAE.
Today, her organizations and success reflect her persistence and
undying spirit to uphold the values of the UAE, respect natural
resources and promote environmental awareness in order to ensure a
sustainable conscious generation ahead.
“An Emirati woman to me is a symbol of ambition. Being an
Emirati woman means leading my country to even greater feats of
achievement by contributing to the nation building, economic growth
and social progress. The UAE Constitution states that women enjoy
the same legal status, claim to titles, access to education and
right to practice professions.” Mrs Marashi shares how the UAE
government has always held women’s interests in high priority. “We
have been provided with a safe, secure and supportive ecosystem. My
role model is Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, the Mother
of the Nation.”
The UAE’s inspiring women: ‘Emaratiyah’ is a book launched on
the occasion of Emirati Women’s Day 2016, organized by Federal
Competitiveness and Statistics Authority, under the patronage of
Reem Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Cooperation.
The book identifies Mrs Habiba Al Marashi as one who has been
directing firms in the region on their corporate social
responsibility approach long before organizations formally
establish ‘CSR’ divisions. The British environmental campaigner
David Bellamy described her as a female version of himself, in lieu
of her passion in protecting the environment and promoting
responsible behavior amongst all stakeholders. Having set up the
first environmental NGO in the world to be ISO 14001 certified,
Habiba Al Marashi recalls her childhood on Emirati Women's Day. “My
late father instilled in us the concept that we are custodians of
the planet; as I grew up it became more and more entrenched in me.
Today I am committed to making sustainable development a common
pledge among all sectors of society.”
Note from the Editor: Emirates Environmental Group: EEG
is a professional working group devoted to protecting the
environment through the means of education, action programs and
community involvement. It is the first environmental NGO in the
world to be ISO 14001 certified and the only organization of its
kind in the UAE with accredited status to the United Nations
Convention to Combating Desertification (UNCCD) and the United
Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP). EEG is the member of the UN
Global Compact, the International Union of Conservation for Nature
(IUCN) and the GEF-CSO Network. For more information please visit
our website: www.eeg-uae.org
*Source: ME NewsWire
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Emirates Environmental GroupPritika De Noronha,
+9714-344-8622eeg@emirates.net.ae