Arab World Social

Innovation Forum

From local to global and global to local

FOCUS AREA:

Women’s Participation in

Inclusive Growth

Women Empowerment in the UAE

Arab women have joined the women’s movement throughout the world to demand more independence and greater freedom of individuality. Recent economic prosperity in the Gulf region has prompted many governments to consider the economic and political status of women.

Pioneering the region in this respect, the UAE government has openly declared an interest in a greater participation of women in the labor force through offering them high-ranking positions in the govern-ment and access to many economic oppor-tunities including public sector positions.

percentage of women representatives in the UAE federal council

Emirati women total 49.3% of the population.

UAE is ranked

39th out of 177in the Gender-Related Development index and

29th in the world under the Gender Empowerment Measure

97% UAE female youth literacy rate

77% percentage of women ÀOOLQJ�XQLYHUVLW\�SODFHV

22.5%

9.3% percentage in the Arab world

17% percentage in the rest of the world

“the highest rate of females in higher education in the entire

world.”

FACTS AND FIGURES

Salma Al Baloushi - ÀUVW��(PLUDWL�IHPDOH�SLORW��

1990 2011

25%

44%

percentage of female participation in labor

force in UAE

According to the 2011 UNICEF Gender Equality

SURÀOH�� the labor force participation

rate of women aged 15 and above is

less than half that of men in the

UAE.

Most of the gains women have made in employ-

ment have come in the public sector and tradi-

tionally feminine careers such as teaching or

nursing.

Women still lack opportunity at

WRS�OHYHO�SRVLWLRQV�LQ�WKH�SULYDWH�VHFWRU��SDUWLFX�ODUO\� LQ� WKH� ÀHOGV� RI� PHGLD� SURGXFWLRQ��FRPPHUFH��EDQNLQJ��RLO�DQG�DGPLQLVWUDWLRQ��

Although there has been progress in female

ODERU�SDUWLFLSDWLRQ�LQ�UHFHQW�GHFDGHV��LW�GRHV�QRW�OHYHO� XS� WR� WKDW� RI�PHQ��7KH� IHPDOH�ZRUNIRUFH�PDNHV�up to two-thirds of the UAE public

VHFWRU� HPSOR\PHQW�� DQG� VWDWLVWLFV� VKRZ� WKDW�women face many challenges in landing leader-

VKLS�DQG�GHFLVLRQ�PDNLQJ�SRVLWLRQV���

percentage of labor participation for

men and women in UAE

Fatima Al Jaber-

CEO of Al Jaber Group

6KHLNKD�/XEQD�$O�4DVVLPLUAE Minister for Foreign Trade

While progress in the UAE concerning the status of women and their roles and rights

should be duly noted, they continue to face many obstacles that deserve attention

and resolution.

92%

42%

The generation of highly quali!ed and educated women graduating with distinguished university degrees does not seem to be fully re"ected in the UAE female workforce.

This may be due to women’s lack of access to the private sector, reinforced by social and cultural norms. There has also been a noted disapproval and social stigma towards women working in media production.

Meanwhile, the rate of promotion for men remains higher than women in political spheres.

CHALLENGES

The expansion of UAE’s economic activities in the last FRXSOH�RI�GHFDGHV�KDV�WULJJHUHG�DQ�LQÁX[�RI�IRUHLJQHUV�LQWR�the nation, segmenting many residents according to their nationality, religion and occupation. Accordingly, many groups have been legally, economically and politically marginalized based on these categories respectively.

Moreover, two-thirds of UAE residents have considered themselves victims of violence or verbal attacks in which the majority of cases occur at home where women are most likely to be the victims. Many national and foreign women residing in the UAE choose to refrain from reporting harassment based on social and FXOWXUDO�LQÁXHQFHV�WKDW�SXW�WKHP�WR�VKDPH��

This is ensued by the lack of legal protection and violation of women’s rights through issues ranging from domestic violence to KXPDQ� WUDIÀFNLQJ� DQG�denying the legal voice of victimized foreign female domestic and informal work-ers.

The exclusion of women from male-dominated legal spheres has made it evermore challenging for them to assert their rights.

30%percentage of women who hold leadership and decision-making positions in female workforce.

OPPORTUNITIES

There are many advantages for the UAE to pursue a greater participation of women in inclusive JURZWK���%HQHÀWV�UDQJH�IURP�HFRQRPLF�WR�SROLWLFDO�DQG�VRFLDO�FKDQJH��+HUH�DUH�D�FRXSOH�RI�H[DP�ples of such advantages:

The UAE will be the harbinger of social change and opportunities for Arab women throughout WKH�0LGGOH�(DVW��7KH�QDWLRQ�ZLOO� VHUYH�DV�D�UHQRZQHG�H[DPSOH�RI�FUHDWLQJ�RSSRUWXQLWLHV� IRU�women at the international level.

According to the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerement of

Women (UN Women), through a greater participation of women in economic life across all sectors, we will “build strong economies, establish stable and just societies, achieve VXVWDLQDELOLW\�DQG�KXPDQ�ULJKWV��LPSURYH�WKH�TXDOLW\�RI�OLIH�IRU�ZRPHQ��PHQ��IDPLOLHV�DQG�FRPPX�nities and propel business operations and goals.”

Studies have shown that women reinvest 90% of their earnings into their families

whereas men reinvest only 40%.

Studies have also shown that when the rate of girls who attend school increases by 10%,

this has a positive effect on GDP, as it increases by 3% on average.

Linking women’s participation in inclusive growth to an overall social empowerment strategy will EHQHÀW� WKH� HFRQRP\� DQG� VRFLHW\� DV� D�ZKROH� DQG�FRXOG�HDVH�WKH�GLIIHUHQFHV�WKDW�H[LVW�EHWZHHQ�:HVW�ern feminism and Arab feminism.

Better education for women also correlates with health improvement and decreases the practice of female gential mutilation as well as the spread of GLVHDVHV�VXFK�DV�+,9��

LOCAL SOCIAL INNOVATORS

AISHA SAEED HARIB

“Its time to move ahead. I believe every person on earth is

gifted and has something to share or pass on. God created us

for a reason, and part of his reason is to give back to society

in exchange for all that we have taken and learned.”

- Aisha Saeed Harib

Aisha Saeed Harib launched an online website that serves as

a platform for the future generation’s youth to create aware-

ness campaigns concerning those in need of medical help as

well as raising awareness about pressing issues in Emirati

society. Her initiative, Social Bondage, is a tool for inclusive-

ness for all groups in Emirati society to bring about positive

impact and social change.

.

The following are examples of women who have created opportunities from their

social environments to empower themselves as well as those around them:

ZEINA ABOU CHAABAN

Zeina launched a business called, ‘Palestyle’, which aims to empower female refugees and create

awareness of the value and history of handmade

embroidery, calligraphy and craft techniques that

have been handed down by women from genera-

tion to generation. While it is based in Dubai,

Palestyle strives to provide a stable income for

women and children living in refugee camps across

Jordan and Lebanon. This opportunity allows

women to “escape from the vicious cycles in which

[they] can so often become trapped.”

ASHOKA GLOBAL FELLOWS

The following are examples of changemaking individuals who have demonstrated

positive impact in their communities to create greater opportunities of participation

for women. Here are examples of our fellows who have dealt with many challenges

throughout their careers. They would prove resourceful for UAE local social innova-

tors in scaling their idea and business.

KAREN MATTISON

Karen Mattison is changing the UK employment

market to create high-quality, part-time employ-

PHQW�RSSRUWXQLWLHV�IRU�ZRPHQ�ZKR�QHHG�D�ÁH[LEOH�schedule to acommodate family and other personal

needs. Through Timewise Jobs, Karen is both creat-

ing a pipeline of experienced, skilled women for

very senior roles and reducing the high levels of

‘worklessness’ among women by helping employers

RSHQ� XS� PRUH� ÁH[LEOH� ZRUNLQJ� RSSRUWXQLWLHV�across all sectors and salary brackets.

BALSAM AND LULWA AL-AYOUB

Balsam and Lulwa Al-Ayoub are empowering young girls

in the Gulf region by proving that women can work in

the same arenas as men and excel. They are professional

fencers and two of the few women dedicated to profes-

sional sports in the Gulf region, where laws and

traditions inhibit girls from competing in sports. By

competing in international tournaments and mentoring

young female athletes, Balsam and Lulwa are showcasing

women’s talent and strength to a society that has

WUDGLWLRQDOO\�FRQÀQHG�ZRPHQ�WR�WKH�KRPH��%\�OREE\LQJ�for the amendment of the professional sports law which

does not consider women atheletes, they are opening

the gates for others.

ANTONIO GARCIA DOMINGUEZ

Despite the recent innovations in laws across Europe

decreeing equality for men and women in all areas of

public life, society is far from being truly egalitarian.

Aware of this reality, Antonio Garcia Dominguez is work-

ing with a collective that is often overlooked in solving

this problem: Men. To involve this half of society in

shaping a society in which men and women can live

together in the same conditions. Antonio is creating the

ÀUVW�PRYHPHQW�LQ�6SDLQ�ZRUNLQJ�WRZDUGV�JHQGHU�HTXDO�ity through their own internal transformation and assum-

ing responsibiliy in changin their reality.

CONTACT:

Ashoka Arab World Regional

2IÀFH

93 Abdel Aziz Al Saud 7th FloorApt #1

El Manial, Cairo 11451, Egypt

Email: awsif@ashoka-arab.org

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