FEMALE EMPOWERMENT | 2.5
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s one of the Arab world’s most progressive countries, the UAE has implemented a series of government-led initiatives designed to empower the country’s female population and ensure women are granted the same opportunities as men across all facets of government, business and society. Since the UAE’s foundation in 1971, women have been recognised as equal partners in national development by UAE authorities. The founding father of the UAE, the late HH Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, made women’s empowerment a top priority of the first UAE Government. Sheikh Zayed once said: “The woman is half of the society; any country [that] pursues development should not leave her in poverty or illiteracy. I am on the woman’s side; I always say this in order to uphold her right to work and participate in the building process of her country”. The Constitution of the UAE guarantees equal rights for men and women, ensuring both genders enjoy the same legal status, claim to titles, access to education, the right to practice professions, and the right to inherit property. Women are also guaranteed the same access to employment, health and family welfare facilities. Since HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan came to power in 2004, the issue of women’s empowerment has gathered momentum, while more recently, HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, has been at the forefront of promoting equality, having launched the Emirates Council for Gender Balance at the UAE Government Summit in Dubai in 2015. The council oversees the implementation of best practices and processes to ensure federal institutions meet their respective gender balance targets. The council carries out several functions, including reviewing legislation, policies and programmes to achieve gender balance in the workplace. It also works with other influential organisations such as the General Women’s Union (GWU) to draft comprehensive strategies to encourage the participation
of women and empower them in all areas of society. Also in 2015, government authorities announced a series of initiatives designed to establish the UAE as one of the world’s top 25 countries for gender equality by 2021. At the forefront of this goal is the National Strategy for Empowerment of Emirati Women in the UAE (2015-2021). The strategy, whose launch coincided with International Women’s Day 2015, aims to provide a general framework for all public and private institutions, as well as civil society organisations, to ensure women are provided with equal opportunities to succeed in their chosen professions and other endeavours. In announcing the strategy, which itself was an update on a previous initiative launched in 2002, HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the GWU, President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, and Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation, revealed its primary goal was to make Emirati women “major partners in the achievement of UAE Vision 2021”. ‘’We [anticipate] the strategy will contribute to [creating a positive] future for our people and country through partnerships with federal and local government departments, civil society organisations, and regional and international organisations,” she said. “[The strategy] provides a framework for setting up work plans that will contribute to positioning the UAE among the advanced countries in the area of women empowerment.
FNC REPRESENTATION On 28 August this year, the UAE celebrated Emirati Women’s Day, which is an annual event that recognises the contributions of Emirati women to the country’s success to date. The celebration coincided with the 2019 Federal National Council (FNC) election, which earlier this year established a 50% quota for the parliamentary participation of women, following a resolution by UAE President HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The ruling marked a significant de-
UAE 2020: BUILDING A PROSPEROUS TOMORROW
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