From the President’s Desk – WIZO’s Mission to Abu Dhabi: A Global Movement in Action

From the President’s Desk

Dear Friends,

In March of this year, at the UN in New York during the Commission on the Status of Women, we did not wait for an invitation to speak about the sexual crimes of October 7. Led by Dr. Hava Bugajer, we partnered with the Czech Republic and created our own official table inside the United Nations, reminding the international community that WIZO was the first Zionist organization to be granted consultative status at ECOSOC in 1959. We made certain that the voices of Israeli women, and the demand for accountability and justice, were heard. Now, we are taking this unwavering demand for accountability and justice into the Middle East.

From 29 September to 1 October 2026, I will lead a WIZO Mission to Abu Dhabi, bringing together WIZO women from our federations around the world.

This is not a symbolic visit. It is a deliberate projection of our movement’s capacity to operate simultaneously across three critical arenas: international institutions, regional civil society, and the global Jewish community.

I. The Diplomatic Front: The United Nations Crime Congress

This working mission is anchored around the 15th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in the UAE. Under the auspices of the UN Crime Commission in Vienna, Dr. Hava Bugajer initiated this official side event under the Vienna delegation, capitalizing on the fact that the Crime Congress is being hosted this year in Abu Dhabi.

Taking place on 30 September, our official ancillary meeting is titled “Responding to Conflict-Related Sexual Violence in the Digital Age”. To ensure that our contribution is grounded in the highest level of professional, legal and international expertise, our delegation will include:

Anat Vidor, President, World WIZO.

Dr. Hava Bugajer, WIZO UN Representative, Vienna.

Adv. Col (Res.) Sharon Zagagi-Pinhas and District Judge (Ret.) Nava Ben-Or, representing The Dinah Project.

Adv. Sharon Banyan (CEO) and Adv. Ben Wahlhaus, representing the International Association of Jewish Lawyers and Jurists (IJL).

Shiran Mlamdovsky-Somech, Founder of AI for Good.

Viktoriia Karpa, Deputy Head of the Ukrainian Women Lawyers Association “JurFem”.

Our objective is clear: to ensure that the crimes committed against Israeli women on October 7, and the broader issue of conflict-related sexual violence, cannot be ignored, minimized or pushed to the margins of the international agenda.

II. Women-Led Civil Diplomacy and Global Influence

Our strategy in Abu Dhabi extends well beyond the UN framework.

The Abraham Accords created a new regional reality and opened possibilities that, only a few years ago, would have been difficult to imagine. Governments opened the door. The next challenge is to give those agreements depth through relationships between people, communities and civil society.

This is an arena in which WIZO has enormous potential.

Consider what it means when a WIZO leader from Berlin, London, Paris, Sydney or Buenos Aires sits across the table from an Emirati woman leader.

She does not come only as a representative of WIZO or as a supporter of Israel. She brings with her the relationships, political connections, civic networks and influence of her own Federation and her own country.

This is the power of our global movement.

By creating these connections, we have the opportunity to build relationships that extend beyond bilateral diplomacy and to strengthen the human infrastructure upon which lasting regional cooperation depends.

Women’s dialogue in the Gulf can be an important gateway to deeper understanding and more durable relationships. WIZO has spent more than a century building alliances, engaging with non-Jewish communities and creating meaningful connections across borders.

The Embassy of Israel in Abu Dhabi is working with us to facilitate engagement with women leaders and key figures in the UAE, recognising the value that women-led civil diplomacy can bring to this developing relationship.

In addition, the American Jewish Committee (AJC) will sponsor and co-host a high-level networking reception during our mission, bringing together WIZO leadership and key regional and international partners.

This is not only about attending meetings. It is about creating relationships that can continue long after we leave Abu Dhabi.

III. Supporting an Emerging Jewish Communal Ecosystem

We will also dedicate meaningful time to the UAE’s developing Jewish communal life. The Emirates is now home to an emerging Jewish communal ecosystem, and during our mission, we will gather for a Sukkot celebration with the local community. We will also have the opportunity to visit the Abrahamic Family House, a landmark of interfaith coexistence. WIZO’s century of profound expertise in Jewish community-building and connection with Israel is uniquely positioned to nurture and support this growing community.

This mission is a continuation of our lifelong duty. We do not wait for the international community to offer us a platform; we take ownership of our narrative and build our right with our own hands.

I look forward to standing shoulder-to-shoulder with WIZO women from around the world in Abu Dhabi.

Anat Vidor
President of World WIZO