UAE set to join top nations with women in parliament
New presidential decree to propel UAE to 4th position in female percentage in assemblies
Dubai: The UAE will soon be among a handful of nations across the world with a female representation of 50 per cent or more in the parliament as the UAE Federal National Council (FNC) will soon have half of the seats reserved for women.
On Saturday, President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan issued a decree to reserve 50 per cent of FNC seats for women.
The FNC currently has eight women in the 40-member house, making up 22.5 per cent, ranking 79th globally in terms of women representation, according to a list compiled by Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).
However, this will change when the presidential decree comes into effect, propelling the UAE among the top five nations with female representation of 50 per cent or more in parliament.
According to IPU, currently only four countries have a female representation of more than 50 per cent in their parliaments, with Rwanda ranking first at 61.3 per cent, Cuba with 53.2 per cent and Bolivia 53.1 per cent.
Mexico with 48.2 per cent is currently in fourth position and is set to displaced by the UAE once the new decree comes into effect.