Under the slogan “Women are ambitious and bright for fifty”

"Emirati Women's Day"...a celebration of half a century of achievements and gains

Tomorrow, the UAE will celebrate the "Emirati Women's Day", which represents a national occasion to express pride in the achievements of the "daughter of the Emirates" and to appreciate her vital role and outstanding contributions to the country's renaissance and sustainable progress.

This year's celebration comes under the slogan "Women Ambitious and Shining for 50", based on the directives of Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women's Union, President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, and Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation.

Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak is considered the pioneer of the women's movement in the UAE, and she is credited with establishing the General Women's Union, while the approach she presented in the field of women's work is characterized by a balance between seeking openness to the spirit of the age, and preserving Arab authenticity and Islamic traditions, out of faith From her highness that preserving cultural privacy is the only way to achieve the desired progress.

This year's "Emirati Women's Day" coincides with the UAE's celebration of the "Fiftieth Year", which culminated in half a century of its distinguished career at all levels, amid a remarkable presence of the daughter of the Emirates, whose successes and giving inspiring success stories in all work and responsibility sites. .

During the past 50 years, Emirati women have strengthened their presence in all fields, which has become equal to the presence of men. Indeed, the scales tend to favor her in many indicators.

The UAE ranks 18 globally and first in the Arab world and the Middle East in the Gender Equality Index issued by the United Nations Development Program for the year 2020, achieving the national target, reaching the list of the best 25 countries in the world in this indicator, by 2021, while it is looking forward today to entering The world's top 10 list.

The images of her active participation as a maker and contributor to the two most important achievements that the UAE has recently achieved, will remain present for a long time, represented by the launch of the "Probe of Hope" to Mars, and the inauguration of the first and second phases of the first peaceful nuclear reactor at the Arab level.

The UAE was able to bypass the countries of the region and many countries of the world in empowering women and enhancing their participation in political life, after ensuring half of the seats in Parliament, the Federal National Council, and its strong presence in forming the government with the membership of nine women holding different portfolios.

Emirati women have been an integral part of the two most prominent achievements recently achieved by the UAE, represented in the arrival of the “Probe of Hope” to the orbit of Mars, and the successful and safe operation of the first units of the Barakah Peaceful Nuclear Energy Plant.

Finally, a report issued by the Federal Center for Competitiveness and Statistics indicated a set of figures and percentages that highlight the leadership of women in the UAE in many fields. With university education, it reached 362,687 women, and the total number of master’s degree holders in the country reached 207,630, while the number of PhD holders reached 15,426, and the percentage of female graduates in journalism, media and social sciences reached 63%.

In the business sectors, women recorded a remarkable presence, after the percentage of females reached 24% of the total number of workers in the country, and young females recorded a remarkable presence in the boards of directors of federal agencies with a representation of 46%.

Females accounted for 64% of the workers in the education sector, 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.

The report revealed that the number of licensed companies owned by women amounted to 80,025 companies, while women constituted 21.5% of management positions, and 32.5% of workers in specialized professions.

Today, the UAE is a leading global model in protecting women’s rights, thanks to the legislative environment that supports them, represented in the constitution, a series of federal laws and ministerial and local decisions that ensure equal opportunities for men and women, in addition to the national mechanisms and support agencies represented by women’s empowerment institutions, led by the Union The General Woman, who has played the largest role since the establishment of the state in overcoming the difficulties facing the advancement and empowerment of women, by launching programs and initiatives that contributed to building women’s capabilities in various fields.

It can be said that 2019 and 2020 were the years of women with distinction in the UAE, during which it issued about 11 new laws and legislative amendments, all of which were focused on promoting women's rights and empowering them in all fields.

In the field of political participation, in 2019, the decision of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the State, was issued to raise the percentage of women’s representation in the Federal National Council to 50%, which contributed to Emirati women in the “Federal National Council elections 2019” reaching the peak of the empowerment process. By reaching full parity with men under the dome of Parliament in one of the historical precedents in the world.

The UAE issued a law on domestic violence that protects all individuals, male and female, without discrimination. It also issued a law that punishes with imprisonment and a fine, or with one of the two penalties, for anyone who insults a female in a way that offends her modesty by word or deed on a public road or a frequented place.

In 2020, the UAE made amendments to the Penal Code, according to which the article giving a mitigating excuse for so-called “honour crimes” was abolished, so that murder crimes are treated in accordance with the provisions in force in the Penal Code, confirming its commitment to protecting women’s rights and strengthening the principle of the rule of law.

In the field of combating discrimination, the UAE issued in 2019 an anti-discrimination and hate law prohibiting all forms of discrimination on the basis of sex. In the same year, the UAE Central Bank issued a circular to all banks and finance and exchange companies operating in the country regarding gender equality and non-discrimination in banking transactions and access to credit The year 2019 also witnessed the issuance of a cabinet decision to represent women in the judiciary.

Minister of Culture and Youth: Emirati women are educated, wise, educated and confident

The Minister of Culture and Youth, Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi, confirmed that Emirati women have strengthened their efforts in the Emirati cultural scene, and dedicated their time and energy to prove their presence and develop the cultural sector "educated, writer, poet, historian and artist", thanks to the great support provided by the wise state leadership to Emirati women. , in order to enhance its position and presence on the Emirati cultural scene, and to move from it towards the Arab and international arenas with ambition and radiance.

Al Kaabi said in a statement on the occasion of Emirati Women's Day, which falls on August 28 of each year: "The role of Emirati women is well-established in the history of our country, as Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women's Union, President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, and Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation, stood In addition to the founding father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, may God rest his soul, since the beginning of the establishment of the state and supported and supported his efforts,

To this day, she is still generous in her dedication to the country.”

The Minister of Culture and Youth stressed that "H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak represents an important role model for Emirati women, who are distinguished by a set of distinctive features, as educated, wise, educated, confident in their abilities, capabilities and skills, and looking forward to the next fifty years of the state's life."

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