Abu Dhabi – Mubasher: The global leading renewable energy company Masdar held its fifth annual Women in Sustainability, Environment and Renewable Energy (WiSER) Forum on Tuesday, January 14 at Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) 2020.

During an expert panel and a roundtable discussion session, participants in the forum discussed digitalisation, artificial intelligence (AI), and digital economy and explored the opportunities and barriers in promoting the inclusion of women within the sustainability sector, according to a statement on Thursday.

Participants highlighted the role of digitalisation in the empowerment of women.

As an international trade hub, Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) aims to draw businesses that apply gender equality policies, Linda Fitz-Alan, registrar and CEO of Abu Dhabi Global Market Courts, said.

“ADGM has been an active participant in the UAE Gender Balance Council, which integrates women into key roles for national leadership,” she highlighted.

On 14 January, WiSER and ADGM announced a year-long partnership under which the two bodies will work together   on a several events and ADGM will play a major role in the WiSER Pioneers Programme and will be able to host events under the WiSER brand.

For her part, Lamya Al Fawwaz, executive director of brand and strategic initiatives at Masdar and WiSER programme director, remarked, “Embracing digitalisation and harnessing the benefits it can bring will be critical to achieving gender parity – which in turn will help us to create sustainable societies and achieve all of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.”

During an engaging roundtable discussion session, participants discussed the role of women in the technology industry, how can AI provide employment opportunities to women, the challenges facing women in the workplace, and the importance of granting young girls equal opportunities.

Moreover, participants also stressed the crucial role of government support to achieve gender quality.

The ADGM, the UAE’s Department of Energy, Mubadala, Abu Dhabi Power Corporation and its operations companies also acted as partners for the forum.

On the sidelines of the 70th United Nations General Assembly in September 2015, the WiSER platform was officially launched by Masdar and the Zayed Sustainability Prize, formerly known as  the Zayed Future Energy Prize.