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Al Manal Humanitarian Initiative has launched ‘ReacHer’, an initiative providing women with mental health support and consultation services, and which aims to enhance women’s contributions across familial, social, and economic roles amid the current implications and repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The ‘ReacHer’ initiative will be carried out over several weeks, in partnership with Dubai Healthcare City, DHCC, and in collaboration with a selection of mental health practitioners, including psychologists, psychiatrists, and therapists.
According to organisers the initiative comprises of a WhatsApp number (050-4068222) through which women can get in contact with mental health practitioners. "Sessions with mental health practitioners can then progress to telephone or video-conference calls if deemed necessary. All inquiries, conversations, and identities involved in any interaction with practitioners will abide by strict confidentiality clauses to ensure women’s complete privacy," they said.
In tandem to the consultation services offered via the chat-line, Al Manal Humanitarian Initiative will also be hosting routine life-coaching sessions by certified life coaches, including Amal Alotaibi, Jehan Safar, Huda Al Ali, and Layal Taher.
H.H. Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of the UAE Gender Balance Council, President of Dubai Women Establishment, and wife of H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, stated that the ‘ReacHer’ initiative stems from the UAE leadership’s commitment to ensuring women are afforded all the tools necessary to overcome challenges and implications entailed to the COVID-19 pandemic, as their mental health is among the primary foundations for a stable and healthy society.
She also stated that the initiative will support any woman in need of guidance during this time, given that their mental and emotional wellbeing is a social and economic priority that falls within the framework of the UAE’s commitment to empower all members of society. Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed also expressed her sincere gratitude to the initiative’s strategic partner, Dubai Healthcare City, commending its various healthcare and medical institutes and centres, which have greatly contributed to furthering the rank of Dubai and the UAE across the global healthcare sector. She also thanked the psychologists, psychiatrists, and therapists who volunteered their time and efforts to the initiative.
Mona Al Marri, Vice President of the UAE Gender Balance Council, and Chairperson of the Dubai Women Establishment Board of Directors, stated that ‘ReacHer’ is a continuation of the philanthropic projects carried out by Al Manal Humanitarian Initiative since its launch in 2013. She highlighted that the Initiative’s efforts have encompassed a wide range of humanitarian causes over the years, resulting in long-term positive impacts on the lives of its beneficiaries.
She added, "The ‘ReacHer’ mental health chat-line will serve as a platform through which women can seek advice and guidance to overcome challenges presented during the COVID-19 pandemic."
Jamal Abdul Salam, CEO of Dubai Healthcare City Authority, DHCA, commended the partnership with Al Manal Humanitarian Initiative, stating, "We are pleased to contribute to the ‘ReacHer’ initiative, which is in line with the continuous efforts led by Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to further humanitarian efforts across the UAE." He added, "We are happy to provide our medical expertise in the field of mental health, and employing it to serve members of our society by providing women with psychological and social support during these unprecedented times in order to overcome any challenges entailed to the COVID-19 pandemic."
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