Women's political participation in the UAE

Business Intelligence Middle East:

HE Dr Anwar Mohammed Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Federal National Council Affairs, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Dubai School of Government (DSG), today announced the release of a report on women’s participation in the UAE political arena.

Entitled 'Women in Parliament and Politics in the UAE: A Study of the First Federal National Council Elections', the report details the results of an independent study jointly authored by Dubai School of Government’s Gender and Public Policy Programme and the Ministry of State for Federal National Council Affairs.
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HE Dr Anwar Mohammed Gargash said: “This study shows that government support for women’s participation has driven women to the forefront in the political process. However, government still has a role to play in encouraging a wider and more comprehensive societal shift to promote women’s participation in political and civil society...."
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Dr Tarik Yousef, Dean of the Dubai School of Government, said: “Gender inequality is an important and critical issue in the Arab world today. We hope that this report will offer some assistance in redressing the gender gap in political development.”
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[The report] recommended introducing gender-neutral quotas, providing quality training for candidates, involving more women in the electoral process, closing the gender gap in citizenship rights and lengthening the campaign period.
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In general, the report called for broadening the range of women’s scope in politics, raising general awareness about the role of women in the FNC, widening avenues for engagement with civil society, and creating meaningful partnerships with the media to empower the Federal National Council.

I'm glad to see this development and congratulate the UAE on its leadership in the region. It would be interesting to see these recommendations implemented in tandem with a strengthening of the powers of the FNC.