Yemen LNG celebrates International Women’s Day, establishes ‘Balqis Award’ for successful Women NGOs
Yemen LNG marked in Sana’a today the International Women’s Day in the presence of senior government officials, representatives of women associations from Sana’a and Shabwa, and Yemen LNG female members of staff.
“The key objective of this event is to recognize the exceptional contributions of Company female employee to the successful operations of the Company, to recognize the NGO’s that work at the promotion of the women in the society and at health and education”, General Manager of Yemen LNG Mr. François Rafin stated. “Women have shown courage in 2011 which was a difficult year for everyone”, Mr. Rafin added, “Yemen LNG would not have been as successful if women had not braved difficulties to keep the Company in business every day.“
During the ceremony, Mr. Rafin announced the establishment of ‘Balqis Award’; an annual prize to recognize the exceptional contributions of women organizations for the distinct development activities and programs that bring about empowerment and improved welfare for Yemeni women. The value of the award is twenty thousand US dollars.
The first ‘Balqis Award’ was presented to Al-Aman Association for Blind Women Care in recognition of the efforts of the organization and its founder, the late Fatma Al-Aqel, for providing outstanding educational, health and social services to the blind since 1999.
On her turn, H.E. Minister of Human Rights Dr. Houriah Mash-hour underscored the significance of the contribution women can make to the development of the country. “The message I would like you all to take today is that by doing what we do as women, we do it because we owe it to our country”. “All doors”, Dr. Mash-hour stated, “should be open for women whether in the public or private sectors to work in all areas, be it administrative, technical or industrial. Women should be allowed in engineering jobs and at production worksites. This is the law and the country needs this.”
Yemen LNG also presented a cash award to the Bir Ali Women Association worth of YR 3,400,000 which will be used for the recycling of fish waste into fertilizers.
On the side of the event, two educational agreements were awarded to the Ministry of Education, Shabwa Office, and the Shabwah Women Union, to support adult education and female education programs in Shabwa.