The Participation of Emirati Women in the Labor Market
Since the establishment of the state, the UAE has legislated laws and policies and put in place a number of initiatives within the agenda of empowering women and integrating them into various aspects of life to create a cohesive society. In light of the celebration of Emirati Women’s Day, we review the journey of Emirati women’s rise over 5 decades, and the great position they have reached after a journey of development that will never end.
Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak... The First Supporter of Emirati Women
Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak is the pioneer of women’s work in the UAE and a supporter of women’s rights. She has been interested in the issue of women since the sixties of last century when she began to encourage women to study and join the labor market, then Her Highness established the first women’s association in 1973, followed by the establishment of the Women’s Union in 1975, the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood in 2003, and the launch of the Family Development Foundation in 2006.
Over four decades, Sheikha Fatima, President of the General Women's Union, President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, and Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation launched many initiatives to enhance the status of women on the social, economic, and political levels.
Sheikha Fatima's continuous efforts made her a person worthy of appreciation and honor, as she received more than 500 awards, certificates of appreciation, and medals awarded by local, Arab, and international organizations and bodies.
Emirati Women Excel in Various Fields in the UAE
Emirati Women in Politics and Diplomacy
The UAE’s interest in empowering women has been embodied in many decisions issued by the wise leadership, foremost of which is Resolution No. 1 of 2019 raising the percentage of women’s representation in the Federal National Council to 50%, to be the highest in the process of parliamentary life in the country, the region, and the world.
Also, Emirati women are strongly present in the formation of the government, with the membership of 9 women occupying different portfolios.
Emirati Women in the Economy and Nuclear Sector
Emirati women recorded a remarkable presence in the business sectors, where the percentage of females reached 24% of the total number of workers in the country, and females represented 64% of workers in the education sector, and the same percentage of the total doctors, nurses and technicians in the health sector, and 31% of the total workers in the finance, banking, and insurance activities.
In the field of nuclear energy, Emirati women actively participated in the inauguration of the first and second phases of the first peaceful nuclear reactor at the Arab level.
Emirati Women in the Space Industry
Emirati women have contributed to one of the most important achievements of the UAE recently, which is the launch of the Hope Probe to Mars, where the percentage of Emirati women’s participation in the “Hope Probe” project reached 34% of the work team, 50% of the leadership team, and 80% of the scientific team.
The statistics reflect the increasing demand for Emirati females to study scientific and difficult disciplines in order to advance Emirati society at all levels.
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