E7 daughters of the Emirates summit inspires UAE women to create community change

Bringing together women from different walks of life, a powerful new project in the UAE aims to enable them to put their ideas into positive action within their communities.

Launched by Emirates NBD, a leading bank in the Middle East, and the Promise of a Generation (POAG) community network, their empowering initiative – e7 daughters of the Emirates – offered 35 young women aged 18 to 25 from each of the seven emirates the chance to come up with sustainable solutions to issues within and beyond their community and put those ideas into action.

The project begins with their inaugural 3-day summit from April 9-11 in Dubai, allowing the participants to discuss their ideas with mentors and create innovative solutions “inspired by POAG’s pillars of action –culture & heritage, education & career, enhancing opportunity for the less fortunate, the environment & health, and family & women leadership.”

“We are very honored and excited to be part of the e7, bringing together women from each of the seven emirates to further our society,” said Lubna Qassim, Executive Vice President, Group General Counsel & Company Secretary of Emirates NBD. “This is the first initiative of its kind for young women, bringing the vision of our leaders to life. Emirates NBD is a firm believer in the potential of the daughters of the emirates, and we are proud to be partners in the very first e7.”

POAG, also known as the Accidental Majlis group, is the brainchild of Adela Acevedo Sarna, Aida Al Busaidy, Aysha Al Hashimi and Esther Tang and has been working to inspire, enlighten and educate young women and spark community dialogue for the last six years.

Sarna, chair of the e7 Executive Board and the Co-founder of Promise of a Generation, envisioned the e7 initiative together with Vice-Chair Michele Wong. Sarna talks to us about the importance of “high-impact, community-driven initiatives” in the UAE:

Elan: Why do you think the Emirates NBD e7 Girls Summit is so crucial right now?

Adela Acevedo: There has never been a better time for young women to fulfill their promise to make a positive difference in their communities.

Elan: With the launch of such an inspiring initiative, what changes would you like to see in the UAE within the next 5 or 10 years?

AA: We would love nothing more than for young women not only in the UAE, but throughout the region, to lead in their communities by creating positive lasting change. What this looks like will be different for each young woman, and we would like to see young women leading where they are.

Whether that means launching a business with a social impact, a book drive, or giving back to the less fortunate, we would love more and more women to realize that they have what it takes to bring so much to their societies in small tangible ways, and the e7 Daughters of the Emirates initiative is a platform providing them the tools to do just that.

Elan: As an initiative backed by the local government, do you think it is a true indication of the leadership support to encourage and motivate women to take on leadership roles and impact society?

AA: e7 Daughters of the Emirates is a community initiative and not officially backed by the local government. We do, however, have a lot of local support from many individuals inside the government and from strong community leaders, including Najla Al Midfa of Khayarat, Lubna Qassim, Executive Vice President at Emirates NBD and Iman Ben Chaibah of Sail Publishing.

We are also honored to have the support of Emirates NBD as title sponsor of the e7 summit.

We are blessed in the UAE to have such strong leaders who support women. Sheikh Zayed’s words continue to inspire each of us when he said, “nothing could delight me for than to see the woman taking up her distinctive position in society…”

Elan: How will this summit create meaningful dialogue among the UAE’s diverse community?

AA: Our hope in bringing together young women from each of the seven Emirates — both local Emiratis and expatriates with long-standing community ties — is to foster respectful dialogue and collaboration to create long-term community initiatives serving the greater UAE society.

This way we hope to bring together the great things from the different Emirates and cultures which these daughters of the Emirates represent.

Elan: How important is it for women to mentor and pass on their knowledge and encourage the younger generation? What are some important lessons that need to be engrained in the next generation in order to create sustainable projects and businesses?

AA: One of the most important things both women and men who have gained life experiences can do is to mentor the next generation. Through mentorship, we can unlock the positive potential in the future. You never can measure the impact that one person can have on the life of another, and by simply offering words of encouragement or instilling confidence in a young person, we can make a lasting impact.

Our own lives are filled with women who have given us the passion and knowledge so that we could achieve many things — including imagining, planning and executing an ambitious initiative like e7. From our mothers to other amazing mentors— women who take the time to share their wisdom can cultivate and nurture sustainable communities and make a huge difference in life.

Elan: What advice would you give young men and women eager to create and have a positive impact on their community?

AA: Start today and seek out ways large or small to make a difference. No project is too small to have a big impact on our community. Each and every one of us has something to contribute.

Please get in touch with us. We have an extended network in Promise of a Generation that have many existing platforms in which you can contribute.

For more information about the initiative, visit their website www.poag.ae/e7/