Dubai: Each person’s story is unique and just about anyone can make a difference to the world by telling theirs truthfully: this was the crux of the message from the former First Lady of Iceland, Eliza Reid, at the Global Women’s Forum Dubai 2024. Storytelling serves as an incredibly powerful tool for social change, she said, encouraging everyone to fully exercise this power.
According to Emirates News Agency, the session was attended by H.H. Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, Member of the Dubai Council, and Member of The Executive Council of Dubai; and Mona Ghanem Al Marri, Vice President of the UAE Gender Balance Council, and Chairperson of the Board and Managing Director of the Dubai Women Establishment.
During a session moderated by Hala Badri, Director General of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, titled ‘Storytelling for Social Change,’ Reid emphasised that, cutting across cultures, stories carry a message of universality and he
lp to bring people closer. ‘Storytelling is something that is important, that distinguishes us as human beings. It’s something that unites us across cultures, across different histories and different backgrounds,’ said Reid, adding that Iceland and the UAE share the common thread of a storytelling tradition.
Quoting an Icelandic proverb, which literally translates as – to walk with a book in the belly, she said, ‘we all have a story that we’re waiting to give birth to in some way, we all have something unique that we can share with the world.’
As a country, Iceland has been at the top of the list in terms of the World Economic Forum’s Gender Gap Index. This achievement was the result of a conscious decision and did not occur by accident, and the change in this direction started with a galvanising moment in the history of Iceland in 1975, when 90 per cent of women decided to take a day off from work, and this catalysed gender inclusion and parity, Reid explained. ‘When women gather together to show the value
of what women contribute to society, and also to show that we can stand in solidarity with each other, it will really help to improve things,’ she said. Iceland had the world’s first democratically elected female head of state in the world, who served the country for 16 years from 1980 to 1996. The current president of the country is also a woman.
Touching upon social media and the trend of the younger generation taking to it with gusto, Reid said that these platforms offer opportunities galore, but it is important to showcase tolerance while using them. ‘Social media is shortening our tolerance, and we need our dopamine hits quickly these days, but it is important to foster tolerance for mutual understanding,’ she added.