Looking Forward, We Celebrate our Women

On this Emirati Women’s Day, I want to take a moment to reflect on the growth and success of our women through the years. My grandmother grew up in a society vastly different from the one I experienced. During her time, though people faced difficulties associated with living in undeveloped areas, women were expected to contribute as much as men. Pre-unification, women were encouraged to participate in the development of their cities, whether as weavers or businesswomen. And then, with unification, came a vision for the future, guided by the UAE’s founding father HH Sheikh Zayed and empowered by the Mother of the Nation HH Sheikha Fatima. Together, they ensured women were equally contributing to all aspects of life.

Fast forward to the present, Emirati women have become active participants in various sectors. Through continued dedication, they have pushed boundaries and reached new heights. The UAE has made tremendous progress when it comes to showcasing female leaders, and we have many role models to highlight this fact.

In government, we have a number of female ministers and high level officials. On the international front, we have role models acting as diplomats, ambassadors and representatives at prevalent international organisations, including the UN. We have female CEOs in multinational retail groups and real estate companies. We also have innovative young females in science and technology as well as women in the security and defense sectors.

These women have all demonstrated similar qualities during their journeys, working tirelessly to reach their goals. They persevered in the face of challenge and adversity, entering the workforce armed with passion and ambition. Most importantly, they took on the responsibility of inspiring other Emirati women by helping shift gender-role perceptions.

Women in the UAE wear many hats: We are lawyers, authors, artists, politicians, CEOs, doctors, students, and poets. Our leadership actively encourages us to pursue our dreams even if the path to success is riddled with challenges, because we know we will not be limited by our gender.

As we move ahead, I would like to emphasise my appreciation of Emirati women for continuing to give back. I would also like to express my gratitude and condolences to the mothers of our honorable martyrs. Their grief is shared by our society and we deeply commemorate and thank our fallen soldiers for their noble sacrifices.

And so, from the mothers of martyrs to our young female innovators, this Emirati Women’s Day is dedicated to those who carry us forward. I am immensely proud to be a member of this society and a representative of this empowered gender, and I eagerly await the future we are paving for coming generations.