On December 9, 2012, the UAE Cabinet made it compulsory for government-owned entities to include Emirati women on their boards of directors. Shamsa Saleh, chief executive of the Dubai Women Establishment, described the ruling as “the most important news in the history of the institution,” and said her organisation is looking at how best to implement it. The organisation estimates women hold only 1.5 per cent of board positions in listed companies across the GCC.
Women in the UAE continue to take up equal and rightful positions in business and society, and in many cases, make their mark in hitherto male-dominated areas. Major strides are being made in the areas of health and education. The UAE is now an acknowledged regional leader for the development of women’s rights and empowerment, with key initiatives in business and in sectors such as health.
Pre- and post-natal care in the UAE is on a par with many developed countries and the Millennium Development Goal target of a 3.8 mortality rate for under-fives per 1,000 live births is not only achievable in 2015 but may also be exceeded.
This is backed by a well-developed health service that includes a sophisticated physical infrastructure of hospitals, health-care centres and specialised clinics. The government is committed to continue improving national health care, particularly in remote areas. There are about ten centres in the country dedicated to mothers and children and 110 special units for them within hospitals.
In January, Shaikh Maktoum Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, attended the launch of the Dubai Declaration — Saving Lives, Rising to the Challenge, detailing seven concrete actions to enable more women and children to access the health services they need. The meeting was convened by the United Nations.
Cancer prevention in particular has benefitted from collaboration across governmental and voluntary levels. The equestrian Pink Caravan initiative by Friends of Cancer Patients, a Sharjah charity, is a sterling example.
Trekking across the country with a mobile screening unit, the charity has held awareness sessions and provided early detection breast cancer screening to more than 20,000 residents since 2011.
The Health Authority — Abu Dhabi’s ongoing Cancer Wave Health Promotion Project 2012-2013 aims to raise awareness under the banner, Live Healthy & Simply Check.
The role of women in the workplace was emphasised by General Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces. On a tour of the Etihad Airways Call Centre late last year, he said, “Emirati women working in public, private or voluntary sectors play a vital role in support of the country’s comprehensive development march.” The call centre is exclusively managed and operated by women.
According to the UAE National Values Survey conducted by the Barrett Values Centre last December, women in the UAE have a strong feeling of equality compared to their counterparts. The survey included 4,100 participants and 46 per cent were women.
But women aren’t just employees and entrepreneurs, they are actively shaping the economy. Speaking at the Arab Women Leadership Forum in Dubai last December, Dr Mohammad Ahmad Al Murr, Speaker of the UAE Federal National Council, said the size of investment in the UAE by Emirati women exceeds Dh12 billion, while female investors number about 12,000.
At the Government Summit in Dubai last month, His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, encapsulated women’s power best of all. He pointed out that 70 per cent of university graduates are female, almost 65 per cent of government employees are women and about 30 per cent are in leadership positions. “Women work harder and focus on education and so have a bright future,” he told the assembly. “I am worried about you men because women will be taking leadership positions from you.” n
