Abu Dhabi - UAE is setting an example in women empowerment and gender balance.
Published: Sun 9 Dec 2018, 5:14 PM
Fifty per cent gender quota for women in the Federal National Council (FNC) would mean female voices and issues concerning women will be heard louder and clearer in the UAE's parliament council, its members have said.
Speaking to Khaleej Times, female FNC members said while women continue to be under-represented in parliaments worldwide, the UAE is setting an example in women empowerment and gender balance by reserving half of the total seats in the FNC for women.
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"Fifty per cent representation of Emirati women in FNC is a golden step towards the empowerment of women in the UAE and giving them equal opportunities with men in political decision-making," Alya Sulaiman Al Jassim, an FNC member from Dubai, said.
"Giving women the opportunity to enter the parliamentary work, and experience the election process is only a completion of the process of confidence-building in women undertaken by the UAE government."
Welcoming the 50 per cent reservation for women, Afra Al Basti, another FNC member from Dubai, said the UAE leaders have always put the issue of gender balance and women empowerment at the forefront and that it's not a surprise that the UAE President has come up with such a decision.
Basti told Khaleej Times that the President's directive to have 50 per cent seats in FNC to be filled by women will ensure equal representation in the country's parliament.
"With more women in the FNC, issues affecting women and children in the communities will be greatly presented and advocated for in the House, which will promote their status and well-being."
Al Basti said that electing and appointing more women to the FNC will empower women and also elevate their position locally and internationally.
"Currently, the UAE is ranked 80th internationally in regards to women empowerment and gender balance. And with this new decision of sending more women to the FNC, I believe that the UAE's position in gender balance will definitely raise," she said.
While the gender disparity in power-sharing and political participation have remained glaring in many countries, the UAE has always thrown its weight behind its women.
The current speaker of the FNC, Dr Amal Al Qubaisi, is the first Arab woman to head the parliament council in the region. She was also the first woman to be elected to the FNC in 2006.
Amal Abdulla Al Haddabi, senior advisor to the Speaker of FNC and chairperson of the Board of Directors of Positive Cancer Foundation, said the national council, under the leadership of Dr Al Qubaisi, has achieved many successes, locally and internationally.
"She proved that women can lead from the front and they deserve to get equal opportunity as men."
Al Haddabi said the credit of empowering the women should be given to Her Highness Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak, chairwoman of the General Women's Union (GWU), president of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, who along with the founding father, the late Sheikh Zayed, established a balanced society where men and women were given equal opportunities.
"The unlimited support for women will reflect positively on women's performance and will improve her skills and talents, which will result in the establishment of a healthy and stable society."
Azza Bin Sulaiman, another FNC member from Dubai, said since the birth of the nation, "our leaders have treated women as equal partners in all walks of life, including political participation.
"It took us only 10 years to have a woman lead the parliament as the Speaker. If you look at history, many countries took 70 years or more to achieve that."
She said the new directive will help women deal with problems of people more effectively, address their concerns at grassroots level and establish values of participation and consultation.
While the UAE has taken a leap towards women empowerment and political participation, there is more to be desired worldwide in the same direction.
The world average of women in parliament today is 23.8 per cent, according to Inter-Parliamentary Union, an organisation made up of national parliaments from around the world.
In 2017, the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Index showed a reverse trend. The widest gap was reported in political participation at about 23 per cent, the same level as 2016. Women make up less than a quarter of the world's politicians. The forum report predicts that at the current pace of improvement, it will take another 99 years to close the gender gap in political participation around the world.
(With inputs from Ismail Sebugwaawo)
anjana@khaleejtimes.com
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