Sincere, strong and talented: Meet the women of UAE

To mark Emirati Women's Day on August 28, KT joins the country in celebrating these extraordinary women.

The UAE has always believed in its women: That they can inspire, lead and make a difference. Councils have been formed and decrees issued to ensure that women are provided with the support they need to achieve their aspirations. And through the years, Emirati women have proven they can do great things. They have inspired the youth, led companies and countless campaigns, and made a difference. To mark Emirati Women's Day on August 28, Khaleej Times joins the country in celebrating these extraordinary women.
The UAE's next global boxing champion
Rahul Gajjar
It took Hanan Ibrahim 700 days of commitment to a strict diet and twice-a-day training to kickstart the journey to where she really wanted to be. Now, she's one of the UAE's first female boxers aiming to be the next champion to wave the country's flag on the global stage.
Besides being a professional boxer, Ibrahim is a fitness coach for the Sharjah Police.
She aced all her training sessions at the UAE boxing federation. But the journey hadn't been easy for her. Growing up, Ibrahim was extremely insecure about her weight.
"I used to browse through my pictures and end up in tears," she said, remembering how she fought obesity and depression.
Then she found a way out of a sedentary lifestyle through boxing. "I have been into sports since I was seven years old, but I did not know boxing." The training was so harsh that she quit training sessions twice - once for an entire year and another for two months. She was ready to throw in the towel until, one day, she had the wake-up call that powered her through over two years of eating healthy and training twice a day. She managed to lose a whopping 45kg.
Ibrahim was grateful to have had the support of her family.
She also thanks the UAE's leaders for giving athletes like her the opportunity to shine through. Ibrahim dreams of representing the UAE as a boxing champion. "I will make my country proud."
(With inputs from Athira Menon)
The jewellery artist who wowed the world
Nilanjana Gupta
For Emirati jewellery artist Azza Al Qubaisi, every woman sparkles: Brave and strong, tough and precious - just like diamonds.
Born and raised in Abu Dhabi, Al Qubaisi once asked her father where he got her name. He smiled and said, "You're named after the woman who raised me and took care of me while I was young. She is a very strong woman in our Emirati community."
With that in mind, the eldest of eight siblings grew up believing that all women are strong, fearless and no less than men.
Al Qubaisi, now 41 and a mother of five girls, runs the Arabian Workshop for Jewellery and Gemstones (Arjmst) in Abu Dhabi, a company established in 2002 for creating wearable arts.
Some of the initial challenges for the Emirati entrepreneur was getting a licence, establishing the business and managing expenses, she said. But soon enough, she won her clients' hearts through her work, exhibited at various festivals in the country across the world.
Thanks to the freedom and support she received from her family, today, she is a pioneer in her own right.
Al Qubaisi said that in the UAE, women empowerment is part of the norm. "I don't see any difference in the rights of men and women in the UAE. I feel proud and privileged to be a citizen of this amazing country as our leaders are always here to engage with us and provide us with a robust support system."
nilanjana@khaleejtimes.com
The RJ who gives voice to the youth
Abdul Karim Hanif
Aisha Al Mazmi has been hosting a radio show for more than half a year now. And every day, she comes to work not only to complete a shift - but to serve as the voice of Emirati youth and women, which she thinks are "under-represented in the mainstream media".
RJ Al Mazmi presents for Sharjah's English language radio station Pulse 95 Radio.
Broadcasting every weekday at 1pm, Al Mazmi discusses youth affairs, geek culture, movies and entertainment on her show titled, 'Afternoon Karak.' A tea connoisseur herself, she enjoys making a vegan chai karak (using oat milk) for herself every evening while preparing for her show the next day.
A graduate of Mass Communications from American University of Sharjah, Al Mazmi had joined the station as a junior newswriter and worked her way to earn her big break. She has been co-hosting the show since January this year.Al Mazmi credits the opportunities and successes of Emirati women in the country to the strides made by the female leaders of the UAE, particularly naming Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, wife of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah and Chairperson of the Supreme Council of Family Affairs.
"In comparison to other places in the world, especially within this region, we've been given a lot of opportunities by our sheikhs Their Highnesses and a lot of Emirati women, who paved the way for us to be able to take these opportunities."
To mark Emirati Women's Day this year, Al Mazmi encouraged her countrywomen to continue to pursue their goals.
"My message to all my Emirati sisters is not to be afraid to take the first steps. We are all with you in going forward towards creating a  more prosperous UAE," she said.
abdulkarim@khaleejtimes.com
Women behind nation's success
Sandhya D'Mello
Behind the success of several sectors in the UAE - from real estate to the space industry - are Emirati women who excel in what they do.
In the UAE's flourishing space sector, for example, 45 per cent of the workforce are Emirati women. It is the highest female employment rate in the global space industry, which has an average rate of 12 per cent.
Fatima Saeed Al Hameli is one of the Emirati women involved in the Hope Probe project and in the  engineering of satellites. "Achieving my country's aspirations in reaching space is a source of great pride for me."
Even in multinational businesses, women continue to thrive.
EY, a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services, recently appointed its first Emirati female partner, Wardah Ebrahim.
Ebrahim said: "The government empowers Emirati women across different industries, and the private sector also sees the value in having a balanced workforce.
Amira Sajwani, senior vice-president at Damac, agreed that there has been a shift in the society's perception of what men and women can do. "No one should hold themselves back because of their gender. Find something that you are passionate about and strive to be the very best in your area of interest."
Mona Altamimi, VP for marketing and corporate communications at Deyaar, said:  "We continue to make a resolute effort to support the nation's vision to become one of globe's top 25 countries for gender equality by 2021."
sandhya@khaleejtimes.com
(With inputs from Wam)
Celebrating icons of tolerance this year
The theme for this year, 'Women, Icons of Tolerance', reflects the values and principles that have long characterised the UAE's society.
"Allocating a special day to celebrate Emirati women is a testament of our wise leadership's longstanding support and recognition of Emirati women's numerous achievements and valuable contributions.
"It amplifies the role that Emirati women play as decision-makers in the nation's development and future," said Shamsa Saleh, CEO, Dubai Women Establishment (DWE).
As part of DWE's commitment to women empowerment, it will be carrying out several projects in the second half of 2019, in partnership with local, regional, and international organisations.

• UAE