ABU DHABI 28 August 2017: Women now account for 66 per cent of government jobs, 30 per cent of which are senior decision-making positions,
It said 15 per cent of technical jobs in areas of medicine, engineering, education, pharmaceuticals, and nursing are held by women in addition to police and armed forces occupations.
Women now hold 75 per cent of jobs in areas of education and health, it added.
The prestigious position now attained by Emirati women is translated by their marked representation across all government portfolios, where eight out of 29 ministerial positions are held by Emirati women – a fact which reflects the principle of gender equality adopted by the country and the nation’s strong belief in women’s decision-making skills and capabilities, added the report.
The report also highlighted the distinctive representation enjoyed by women in the Federal National Council where women make up for 22 per cent of the FNC members, singling out in this regard the election of Dr Amal Al Qubaisi as the FNC Speaker as among the clear manifestations of women’s empowerment, being the first woman to chair a parliament across all Arab countries.
The UAE adopts a visionary, well thought-out strategy founded on farsightedness as far as women’s empowerment is concerned, said a report by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
Marking the Emirati Women’s Day, observed on August 28th every year, the ministry said the UAE has been over the past years attaching paramount importance to increasing women’s representation in the country’s foreign diplomacy, raising the number of national females working at the ministry’s premises to 175 in addition to 42 women serving across at the country’s diplomatic missions in different world countries.
“The country has taken strategic steps towards this direction by enacting laws and legislation that ensure full protection of women’s constitutional rights, atop of which come the rights of labour, social insurance, ownership and business and financial management besides providing them with all primary services in areas of education, health and social solidarity, sparing no efforts to strengthen gender equality in all walks of life, including equality in wages and end violence against women.
Citing the pro-women initiatives championed and supported by the country over the years, the report mentioned that the UAE has launched “The National Strategy for the Advancement of Women in collaboration with the United Nations in 2002 besides the Law on Personal Status along with solidifying women’s rights and contributions across all fields.”
The report also pointed to the National Strategy for Empowerment of Emirati Women 2015-2021 , the primary goal of which is to provide women with decent life.
By Sheen Amos