Emirati Women's Day
Emirati Women's Day brings us a moment of contemplation mixed with appreciation and pride in the journey of Emirati women.
Since the establishment of the United Arab Emirates on December 2, 1971, the government of the country has given the building of the Emirati person a top priority, has developed strategies and plans for women in particular, and implemented thousands of initiatives, enacted laws and legislations, and established institutions that support women to enable them to exercise their rights guaranteed to them by the Constitution of the United Arab Emirates, and granted them all opportunities for education in all its specializations and at its highest levels, and also granted them all opportunities to participate in all economic activities, so they occupied all levels of jobs.
As supported by the founding leader, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, may God bless his soul, this support and attention continued from His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the State, may God protect him, and his deputies, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, may God protect him, and His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, as well as Their Highnesses the members of the Supreme Council of the Union, Rulers of the Emirates, until the UAE became a model in the status achieved by Emirati women.
It provided them with facilities to be able to combine their roles as mothers and employees by establishing nurseries at the workplace by giving them extended maternity leave, allowing them to work half-time and many ways and mechanisms that created an ideal work environment for women, which contributed to increasing women's productivity and contributed to their intellectual and cognitive openness, which qualified them to lead their families, educate their children, and instill in them the values of work and love of family and country.
The UAE leads many regional and global indicators regarding gender equality and women's achievements, education and literacy, women's share in employment, and the "treating women with respect" index within the Social Progress Index, among many other indicators.
On another note, the UAE has made remarkable progress in bridging the gender gap, with women ranking second in gender pay equality, according to the 2017 Global Gender Gap Report.
Emirati women have entered the judiciary and public prosecution as judges and public prosecutors, and their presence has been strengthened in the police and military. Women in the UAE manage half of the businesses in the small and medium enterprises sector. In the economic field, women represent 46.6% of the total workforce. Emirati women also hold various diplomatic positions.
Women are the foundation of building a good citizen. At the same time that they work to develop future generations, they participate in creating their homeland and its progress. Their multiple roles have only strengthened them, and their participation has only added economically and socially to their beloved homeland, the Emirates.
I am proud of Emirati women's achievements. I see them as key partners in achieving the goals of sustainable development and as having the ability to reach their highest ambitions. I see in Emirati women the strength of will, steadfastness in principles, and ability to face challenges, all of which will enable them to participate efficiently in designing the future of the Emirates.
Fatima bint Mubarak
