Emirati women spearhead nation's progress

Dubai: National women occupy more than 50 per cent of jobs in the ministries and federal organisations with their numbers totalling 4,470 compared to 4,271 Emirati men, according to a report released by the Dubai Statistics Centre, 2006.

The report also pointed out more than 5,692 UAE women are employed by Dubai Government entities alone, validating their pioneering contribution to the emirate's development.

Mona Al Merri, Chairperson of Dubai Women's Establishment, said in a statement that the statistics underscore the proactive role played by UAE women across all sectors, reaffirming the belief of the country's leadership in women's capabilities.

Strong presence

"With their strong presence in major corporations and government entities, women have proven to be competent facilitators of the country's progress," Al Merri said.

"A key contributing factor is the increasing percentage of girls attending the UAE universities, which currently stands at 92 per cent, considered one of the highest in the world," said Al Merri.

The report also gives a concise and complete breakdown of the concentration of employed UAE women in the country's key economic sectors.

Healthcare sector

The healthcare sector in Dubai integrates more than 2,000 female employees, constituting about 65 per cent of the total workforce.

While over 2,250 UAE women work in education, representing 80 per cent of the total nationals employed in this sector and 1,000 women have jobs in the security sector, around 350 of those are associated with civil aviation and services, in addition to 150 in law enforcement.

The female literacy rate has also witnessed an upsurge over the last few decades.

More than 16,100 UAE women between 25 to 29 years hold a university degree in Dubai compared to only 29 women in the same age group 30 years ago.