Hind Alowais is a one woman show! Let us elaborate: Alowais worked in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, then became a senior gender advisor, moved on to various roles in the UN, and is now vice president at Expo 2020. Currently the Vice President of the International Participants Department at Expo 2020 Dubai, Alowais has had a long career excelling in various roles, most of which has centered on women empowerment and gender equalit.
In her present position, Alowais oversees the participation of international and intergovernmental organizations in Expo 2020, as well as various other stakeholders such NGOs, academic institutions, philanthropic organizations, and so on. Under her tenure, it was announced in June that Expo 2020 is launching a Women’s Pavilion, made possible through a collaboration with French luxury brand Cartier. This dedicated platform has been designed to showcase female contributions to societies across the globe, in an attempt to promote gender equality in the region and beyond.
The Women’s Pavilion will invite visitors to recognise the central role women, famous and unknown, have played throughout history, leading up to today.https://t.co/Fwiabbr78Y
— About Her (@AboutHerOFCL) June 21, 2021
Speaking on this landmark reveal, Alowais explained in an interview with AEWorld.com how the Women’s Pavilion is in line with the core values of the nation, sharing a quote by the UAE’s founding father His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan in which he says that “nothing makes me happier than seeing women take their exceptional role in society, and nothing must obstruct their advancement.”
Chimera by Kuwaiti artist Monira Al Qadiri is a large scale iridescent, oil-drill shaped sculpture that launched #Expo2020 Dubai’s Public Art Program. More about her mesmerizing art: https://t.co/NyorIarq8t pic.twitter.com/OAagiXXFnn
— About Her (@AboutHerOFCL) July 7, 2021
“So, when you have that in the background and you recognise the UAE’s long-standing commitment to gender equality and women’s empowerment, not only from the values that it has instilled, but to think about how the UAE in such a short time, has surpassed so many other countries and become recognised as the leader when it comes to closing the gender gap in the Middle East. When you think about all these achievements, we can’t have an event like Expo 2020 which brings the world together and not have the issue of gender equality and women’s empowerment at the core of what we’re doing,” she continued in the AEWorld.com piece.
Aside from a plethora of achievements in her current role, Alowais is also known for excelling in her past positions. She is known as the first Emirati national to hold a senior position at the United Nations. Alowais was a Senior Advisor for Intergovernmental Support and Strategic Partnerships at UN Women. Prior to that, she was the Deputy Permanent Representative at the Permanent Mission of the UAE to the United Nations in New York, and before that, she worked almost 15 years for the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
