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UAE encourages women to pursue positions of power

DUBAI — The UAE policy to involve women to participate in the country’s development and decision-making process encourages many UAE national women to get involved in all kinds of fields. The UAE is one of the few Gulf Arab countries that has paved the way for women to hold positions of power and business, said Safia Ibrahim Mohammed, the first UAE National Female Photographer.

Safia, who is now holding a position as Head of the Photography Section at the Al Ittihad Arabic daily, said that although she had faced resistance from her family when she started her career in photography, she decided to pursue developing her photography skills and get involve in photography as a career. She was motivated by the words of the father of the nation, the late President Shaikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who said: “Nothing could delight me more than to see women taking up distinctive positions in society. Nothing should hinder their progress. Like men, women deserve the right to occupy high positions, according to their capabilities and qualifications.”

Safia, who is also a mother of one child, said that she also wanted to prove that UAE national woman are capable of getting involved in all fields and are no longer confined to their homes practising their traditional roles. She is proud to be one of the UAE national women who has played a pioneering role in developing the country and contributing through her hard work, towards its prosperity. Speaking to ‘Khaleej Times’, Safia recalled how she had started her career as a news photographer, and the obstacles she faced in her life till she reached a distinguished position.

“Firstly, I decided to carry the torch and pave the way for a new generation to conquer all fields, including photography. To achieve my goal, I had joined several training courses in photography to improve my skills. In 1985, I decided to join the ‘Al Ittihad’ newspaper as a photographer, to use my skills to serve my country through this job. I received encouragement from my leaders, Shaikhs and government officials, but I was also faced with some difficulties when some Arab expatriates were surprised to see a female photographer wearing an ‘abaya’ and working along with men and covering major events,” she said, pointing out that despite the hurdles faced, I continued pursuing my profession because I had always loved photography since childhood. “I had no problems in travelling and entering a crowd to cover the events for the newspaper. My colleagues — who are all men — are nice to me and at times, they also make room for me to take pictures in a crowd. They treat me with respect.”

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