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Emirati women playing vital role in governance

DUBAI — Emirati women in the UAE are currently playing a bigger role in economic participation and governance, according to a United Nations official.

Speaking to Khaleej Times on the sidelines of a forum at the Dubai School of Government, Assistant Secretary-General of UN and the Regional Bureau of Arab States at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Amal Al Alim Alsoswa, said yesterday that education at all levels, including in the technology field, was extremely high among women in the UAE .

“For the first time this particular city (UAE) is bringing women representatives to the national council. It is amazing to see so many women appointed in a way or manner, in addition, to those who have managed to reach by election. The most important thing, in my opinion, is the role of women in this country is growing in terms of economic participation,” the New York-based UN official observed.

Alsoswa said that women in the UAE were not just businesswomen, “But for the first time, they are becoming ministers and are holding important portfolios like economic, planning and social affairs. These are all issues of importance,” she observed.

However she cautioned that there were challenges too that the women face at the same time.

The UN official pointed out that after the high levels of education women receive, some are putting their educational qualifications to good use, while a few women still need to go a long way. “ It is important that they have a credible amount of encouragement from the society, apart from the government like the private sector and their own families,” Alsoswa noted.

A good grasp of English would also serve as an additional knowledge for women in the region, apart from Arabic.

Referring to the UNDP’s Millennium Development Goals, she said the UAE has ‘literally and economically’ met these goals and even gone beyond these goals.

“There are still some challenges and these are related to the cultural perspective on the role of women and the acceptance of women’s new role,” she said.

She was the special speaker at a policy forum organised by the Dubai School of Government for the alumni of the Mohammed bin Rashid Programme for Leadership Development.

She also discussed the opportunities and challenges of human development facing the GCC.

Alsoswa, on behalf of UNDP, would be signing a Memorandum of Understanding today with the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation to prepare and publish a report on knowledge in the Arab countries. This report would assess and suggest recommendations in the Arab region.