Emirati Women’s Day represents nation’s achievements

Under the theme, 'Women are Partners in Giving', the UAE will celebrate Emirati Women’s Day on Monday, under the patronage of H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women’s Union, Supreme Chairwoman of Family Development Foundation and President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood.

Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak announced the choice of this year’s theme to celebrate the annual Emirati Women’s Day on 28th August, out of her faith in the importance of the contributions of the nation’s daughters, and their role in the country’s development and welfare, and to honour their efforts in supporting the country’s journey, both locally and globally.

It is a sincere expression of the role of women, and their abilities to take part in the state’s many initiatives, as well as their contributions to those in need and their participation in all sectors of the community to make the Year of Giving, launched by President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a success.

Sheikha Fatima designated 28th August of each year as a day to celebrate UAE women. Emirati Women's Days is a national occasion to highlight their accomplishments and successes, while coinciding with the date of the establishment of the General Women’s Union in 1975, as the official representative of Emirati women and out of the nation’s pride for their accomplishments during a short period across all areas.

The current cycle of Emirati Women’s Day will highlight the role of Emirati women and their capabilities and the considerable presence in the community, as well as their decades-long journey that is full of accomplishments. This endeavour has witnessed many historic achievements, as the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan significantly supported the journey of Emirati women, and prepared an environment that enabled them to be creative and excel in all areas. The vision of the late founder was, and still is, ahead of his time, as he understood that women are half of the population, and a community where women are excluded is far from advanced or prosperous.

In a statement to the Emirates News Agency, WAM, Amal Al Afifi, Secretary-General of the Khalifa Award for Education, said that Emirati women have all the support and attention of the wise leadership, due to their awareness of the role of women as a central partner in the overall development and advancement witnessed by the UAE community, making women the cornerstone in the community’s development.

She added that Emirati women have all the avenues for knowledge, creativity and innovation open to them, be it in education or work. "Our precious country has an exceptional experience in this regard, as there are women who are ministers, ambassadors and CEOs. We are proud of our beloved country, where the Speaker of the Federal National Council, FNC, is Dr. Amal Al Qubaisi," she remarked.

Her Highness, the Mother of the UAE, prepared for the success and empowerment of the Emirati women, which has given us a unique example of a women’s journey in the region and the world. The initiatives of Her Highness foresees a bright future for Emirati women, as she represents a great symbol of the nation’s journey, advancement and flourishment.

There are many initiatives the wise leadership has undertaken for women, and these initiatives have passed through long historic stages since the establishment of the Dhabian Women Society and the General Women’s Union, which have shaped the women’s journey of excellence and pioneering today, with the support of the wise leadership and the help of Her Highness, who stood by women in all fields of work and empowered them.

Emirati women have the appreciation of the wise leadership and their constant support, starting from the establishment of the Federation of the UAE in 1971. Sheikh Zayed desired to support women and empower them and to remove all obstacles hampering their advancement and encouraged them to take the highest positions, as per their abilities and qualifications.

This wise vision and wise leadership remained deep-rooted in the thought and course of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa. He strengthened the support for women through the launch of ambitious programmes and opened for them avenues to be a major partner, along with their brothers, in various fields of national work. They have taken the highest political, executive and legislative positions that involved critical strategies and decision-making.

Women occupy 66 percent of the government sector jobs, which is considered one of the highest percentages around the world. Out of that, women hold 30 percent of the leadership jobs that involve decision-making. The Emirati women are also participating in various roles in the private sector, such as in the positions of directors and businesswomen, and there are now 21,000 women who are business owners in the UAE.

Women’s representation in the newly-formed Cabinet reached 27.5 percent after the entry of five new female ministers into the Cabinet, taking the number to eight female ministers in the country.

The Emirati women also occupy diplomatic assignments in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. The number of Emirati women in the diplomatic and consular corps in the ministry’s headquarters reached 175, in addition to the number of women working in the diplomatic corps in external missions for the UAE.