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Dubai - Dubai Ruler posts inspirational video ahead of Emirati Women’s Day
Did you know that 85 per cent of the employees at the Dubai Ruler’s Office are women?
This was revealed as His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, took to Instagram on Friday to pay ode to Emirati women.
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In a special video posted ahead of the Emirati Women’s Day that’s celebrated on August 28, Sheikh Mohammed said he believed one woman has the strength of a thousand men.
“Women in the UAE are dedicated to education and knowledge. They have a vast, bright future ahead,” the Dubai Ruler is heard narrating in the video.
“Around 70 per cent of UAE’s graduates are women, and at my office, 85 per cent employees are women. We have high hopes in them.”
The video features Sheikh Mohammed interacting with Emirati women who are helming ministries and departments in the country.
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In general, women occupy top leadership positions in the UAE. As of 2015, women occupy 66 per cent of public sector jobs, one of the highest proportions worldwide. About 30 per cent occupy senior leadership positions associated with decision-making roles.
Of late, a string of legislations have taken Emirati women to new heights. The country’s two high-profile achievements recently – the Hope Probe to Mars and the launch of Units 1 and 2 of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant – have seen women take the lead.
The country is well on its way to entering the world's top 10 list in the United Nations Gender Equality Index.
The UAE was ranked 18th globally and the first regionally in the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) 2020 Gender Inequality Index (GII), becoming a global leader in the empowerment of women and their rights.
The country topped the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region rankings in the World Bank’s 2021 Women, Business and the Law (WBL) report. The country’s ratings in the World Bank report saw a significant leap under the ground-breaking legislative reforms implemented over the past few years.
It also achieved a full score (100 points) in five indicators in the latest report: Movement, Workplace, Wages, Entrepreneurship, and Pension.
In 2019 and 2020, 11 new laws and legislative amendments were approved to strengthen women's rights and ensure their overall empowerment.
Exactly 50 per cent of the Federal National Council seats are held by women. They maintain a strong presence in the government, with nine women holding different portfolios.
The country also issued a decree, stipulating equal wages for women and men in the private sector, if they perform the same work or another of equal value.
(With inputs from Wam)
As Associate Editor, Sahim Salim helps tell the UAE story like no one else does - and leads a team of reporters that asks the questions to get news and headlines that matter.