Al-Arabiya, Saudi Arabia, Originally posted in Arabic on February 19
In a region of patriarchal societies that disenfranchise women and deprive them of equal rights, Emirati women stand at the forefront of gender equality.
In many countries around us, women are confined to the home, where they are expected to fulfill the traditional role of raising their children. And although women have achieved significant gains in many Arab societies, they are still unable to maximize their full potential in many of them.
The United Arab Emirates, however, presents a refreshing change in the Arab world. Women in Abu Dhabi are free to work in many fields – ranging from military and police, through sciences and engineering, to film and media. At a time when the rest of the Arab world is exacerbating gender gaps, the UAE is working to break social and political restrictions posed upon them. More recently, three new female ministers were elected to the government, leading new initiatives related to the economic, social, and political integration of women.
This brings the total number of female ministers in the Emirati government to eight, which is an unprecedented number in the Arab world. Certainly, there is still much more work to be done on gender issues in the Middle East.
But the United Arab Emirates provides an exemplary model of how men and women should come together to strengthen their economy and their nation. Diversity of ideas, experiences, and views is healthy for all decisionmaking processes. Diversity of gender is no less important. – Yamina Hamdi