Excellence of Emarati woman

04/03/2013

In her recent address to the 4th Congress of the Arab Women Organization in Algeria, Her Highness Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women’s Union,Supreme Chairperson of Family Development Foundation and Chairwoman of the Supreme Council of Motherhood & Childhood, talked about the outstanding position occupied by Emirati women in all fields and how they became a key partner in the development and advancement of the society.HH Sheikha Fatima asserted that the UAE boasted of Emarati women’s outstanding achievements in all fields, refined educational and scientific attainment and diverse roles thatsignificantlycontributedto the development and progress of their society.

What HH Sheikha Fatima said reflectsan actual reality where Emirati women proved to be capable of efficiently discharging the tasks assigned to them in all national worksites. An Emarati woman is a minister, a Federal National Council member, a judge and a diplomat and has a prominent and influential presence in the UAE overall development through their full participation alongside men in all worksites and production areas, with the business sector witnessing a hectic activity bysmall and medium entrepreneurs or the owners of huge businesses of great influence on the market and the economy. Women alsofill 66 per cent of the government sectorjobs, 30 per cent of whom hold leading positions associated with decision-making and 15 per cent fill technical jobs includingphysicians, teachers, pharmacists and nurses. In addition, women have joined the regular armed forces, police and customs.

This privileged position clearly indicates that women are in constant development for the better because there is 1) a firm belief in their role by the prudent leadership led by President His Highness Sheikh KhalifaBin Zayed Al Nahyan, may Allah protect him, and keenness on creating the appropriate environment for moving to wider horizons in all fields, on the grounds that this is a key aspect of the of empowermentstage aimed at maximizing the participation of all categories of the Emirati society in the process of comprehensive and sustainable development, and 2) there is ongoing support by HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak “or “Mother of the Nation” who spares no effort to improve the conditions of women and enable them to join all fields of activity, whether through her initiatives or through her special role in woman concerned organizations, which have been able to devised strategies and policies that empower Emirati women and streamline their role in all areas of national action.

The UAE has become an example to follow in the empowerment of women; it is ahead ofmany countries of the world in that itsConstitution stipulates that men andwomen are equal and enjoy the same rights and duties, including the right to education, work, get equal pay with men, own property, managemoney and business and other legislative gains to guarantee their constitutional rights. Apart from equal pay and promotion opportunities, the laws even stipulate that additional guarantees should be provided for protecting working women such as prohibition of their involvement in hazardous,arduous or harmful work from both the health and moral viewpoints. hence, it was only natural for the UAE to be electedas member of the Executive Board of The United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women for a term of three years, starting from the beginning of this yearand ending on December 31, 2015.