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Sheikha Moza

Sheikha Moza at the Women in Tech LATAM Awards in Rio de Janeiro

Sheikha Moza bint Marwan Al Maktoum, First Lieutenant Pilot of Dubai Police, attended the Women in Tech LATAM Awards ceremony in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Sheikha Moza delivered a keynote speech at the event, highlighting the UAE’s journey in empowering women and the country’s efforts to increase their participation in various fields. In her speech, Sheikha Moza also spoke about the contribution of women in aviation throughout history and shared her experience as a first lieutenant pilot in Dubai Police.

“The UAE gives women all the support they need to succeed and sees them as active partners in the country’s development. Thanks to the leadership’s commitment to gender balance and women’s empowerment, women in the UAE today occupy leadership positions in all areas and take on roles that were once considered suitable only for men. The support that women continue to receive in the UAE is enabling them to excel in various sectors, including aviation,” said Sheikha Moza.

Sheikha Moza reiterated that skills are independent of gender and that it takes passion, commitment and determination to excel in aviation. Reiterating her commitment to supporting more women in aviation, she said: “The opportunity to fly an aircraft belongs to everyone and is not restricted to any particular gender.”

The Women in Tech LATAM Awards is the first in a series of regional awards organised by Women in Tech, an international non-profit organisation that aims to bridge the gender gap and help women embrace technology. The awards ceremony will be held in Dubai on 13 October at the iconic Museum of the Future in eight categories.

Sheikha Moza presented the ‘Youth Award’ and the ‘Life Achievement Award’ to the winners in Rio de Janeiro. “Youth is the reason why I do what I do. I am motivated to help the new generation embrace all challenges as a great opportunity to aspire, grow and realise their full potential,” she said.

Sheikha Moza’s collaboration with Women in Tech began in May this year when she was invited to speak about her experiences as a woman driver during the inaugural Women in Tech Summit in Paris. Her story resonated with women across the global tech community. The resulting collaboration benefited youth and Women in Tech’s mission of empowering women through technology.

On the sidelines of the event, Sheikha Moza met with Chris Dos Prazeres, founder of VaiNa Web, a Women in Tech project launched at Morro Dos Prazeres in Rio de Janeiro. The meeting discussed how technology and coding are creating new opportunities for young people.

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