Emirati Woman’s Day
On the twenty-eighth of this current month the United Arab Emirates celebrates the Emirati Woman’s Day in honor of her role, dedication and giving.
I started my procession with the woman, years back with the leader and founder of the nation, His Highness, the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, May Almighty Allah rest his soul in peace.
I have realized from the start that giving attention to the woman and to her preparation for life and the future is both necessary and important. Without her participation, no development would be attained. I was confident that providing a woman with knowledge and science and empowering her to be part of the nation construction would not only be in the interest of the economic development, but in the interest of the social development as well. Efforts in this area would focus to a great extent, on the woman who is the mother, the educator of children and the maker of generations.
Indeed, the woman was placed on top of all the developmental interests. She was provided with all the educational opportunities and was given access to jobs in all areas and economic activities. Laws and legislations were set and applied to make sure that the woman was provided with equal opportunities.
Thanks to the programs and plans on top of which were the National Strategy for the Advancement of Women in the UAE in 2002 and the Updated Woman’s Strategy for the Empowerment of the United Arab Emirates Women 2015-2021, the woman occupied the uppermost position in terms of target and goals achievements. The woman no longer faces the obstacles which she encountered in the early days of growth and development. But what’s beyond that?
Whatever job the woman holds and whatever political participation she might achieve and whatever position she occupies in life, her most important mission remains to be as a mother and educator of generations which build, preserve and protect the nation.
The mother who rocks the child’s cradle in her right hand is capable of rocking the world in her left hand. I assure all the Emirati women that we need the woman to be the first educator and provider of guidance to her children. She is the one who inculcates values and manners and transfers the culture of the society to her children and preserves the strength and entity of the family.
The woman is the essence of the society and she will remain the essence in building it. Our children are our wealth and such wealth can be achieved through the empowerment of the woman with science, knowledge and skills which are necessary for her role in building individuals and providing them with noble values and good manners. Mothers are indeed the first school in which the preparation of the nation’s men and women takes place.
In this context, I see that the responsibilities of women have multiplied and the challenges facing her first mission have grown bigger. Therefore, the woman who is aware of her role and first mission will never ignore her responsibilities towards the construction of her nation which begins with the building of future generation. The man should not forget that proper education and upbringing need the efforts of both the father and the mother. Without the cooperation of both of them, we will not attain the mature generations which are equipped with science, knowledge and strength and which we hope will lead the UAE towards progress.
Congratulations to every woman who has comprehended the message and has placed the mission of child upbringing as her target. And congratulations to the UAE for having these women who are aware of their roles and who are working towards them with diligence, seriousness and dedication.
May Allah Almighty bless the mothers of the UAE and bless all the UAE women notably the martyrs’ mothers who struck an example for the noble role they have played in education and sacrifice.
May Allah Almighty bless the leaders and the people of the UAE.
Fatima Bint Mubarak