From The National of the UAE
Emirati women an economic force
Rania Abouzeid
May 13. 2008 10:57PM UAE
ABU DHABI // Emirati women are emerging as a strong economic force and their contributions to the country’s non-hydrocarbon GDP, while recognised at home, are still considered novel overseas, Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi, the Minister for Foreign Trade said yesterday.
There is a global misconception about Emirati women that should be redressed, Sheikha Lubna said. As part of her efforts to do so, the Minister has lent her support to a research project that will document the contributions of Emirati women to the fields of business, the humanities, the arts and sport.
The initiative, entitled Empower: The Emergence of UAE Women as an Economic Force, has been undertaken by the Dubai-based firm Marketing Pivot with contributions from female university students. The results are to be published early next year in a book which will be distributed to key decision-makers including foreign dignitaries, cabinet ministers and business leaders. It will also be offered to universities and libraries around the world.
“When I travel I want to make sure that people know that I’m not the odd example, that there are many like me,” Sheikha Lubna said. “I’m a walking example of defying stereotyping, not only of the UAE but also of [the] Arab and Muslim world. These books will be a reference.”
According to the World Bank’s latest figures, females comprised 13 per cent of the labour force in 2004. The figure was five per cent in 1980. Mariam Mohammed Khalfan al Roumi, the minister of social affairs, told the UN General Assembly in March that number had risen to 22.4 per cent.
“It’s not that women weren’t there,” Sheikha Lubna said. “My grandmother was an entrepreneur, a businesswoman. The culture itself has always been open for women, what is different is really the confidence of the women themselves. Sometimes women are self-deprecating.”
The key force driving the changing attitude of Emirati women was education, Sheikha Lubna said, adding that females now account for 70 per cent of university students nationwide.
Women were more of an economic force in the country not just because of how much money they have and the spending power that entailed, but also because of how they made that money in the first place.
“You see a lot of women who have wealth, like an inheritance, but that’s not really what we’re talking about. We’re talking about women as a natural force, evolving, developing, handling their money themselves, independently,” Sheikha Lubna said. “We see a lot start-up companies created by young women, organisations run by women.”
According to Forsa, a Dubai-based investment company run by women that exclusively deals with female clients, Arab women are becoming increasingly savvy about how they invest their money.
The firm, which launched last year, would not reveal how many clients it has on its books.
The minimum investment is one million dirhams, part of the firm’s bid to build a Dh1bn investment fund. The majority of Forsa’s clients are “high-end investors,” said an executive who requested anonymity.
In addition to female entrepreneurs, women were also making other inroads in the workforce.
There are more women than men employed in government organisations and ministries, according to the Dubai Women Establishment.
In 2004, there were 4,470 women to 4,271 Emirati men working in state organisations.
The Dubai Women Establishment declined to provide more recent figures, which will be included in its forthcoming report. But Maitha Buhumaid, the group’s communication’s director, said the numbers would indicate that women had made further advances.
“The numbers of women in business are shooting up, and our current research shows that we’re going to see more women leaders in different sectors,” said Ms Buhumaid.
“There are more opportunities offered for women, and women are more aware and better equipped through education and experience.”
The main obstacle to the further participation of Emirati women in the workforce was the age-old balancing act between work and family, Sheikha Lubna said.
“Balancing home and work is a critical matter to all women, regardless of where they come from,” she said. “The difference in a society like ours is that you actually have an assisting environment, whether there’s a nanny, a maid, extended family. That helps.
“But there are no sectors here that are restricted and men-only.”
Emirati women an economic force
Rania Abouzeid
May 13. 2008 10:57PM UAE
Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi, the Minister of Foreign Trade, wants to
correct misconceptions about the opportunities open to Emirati women. Jaime Puebla / The National
ABU DHABI // Emirati women are emerging as a strong economic force and their contributions to the country’s non-hydrocarbon GDP, while recognised at home, are still considered novel overseas, Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi, the Minister for Foreign Trade said yesterday.
There is a global misconception about Emirati women that should be redressed, Sheikha Lubna said. As part of her efforts to do so, the Minister has lent her support to a research project that will document the contributions of Emirati women to the fields of business, the humanities, the arts and sport.
The initiative, entitled Empower: The Emergence of UAE Women as an Economic Force, has been undertaken by the Dubai-based firm Marketing Pivot with contributions from female university students. The results are to be published early next year in a book which will be distributed to key decision-makers including foreign dignitaries, cabinet ministers and business leaders. It will also be offered to universities and libraries around the world.
“When I travel I want to make sure that people know that I’m not the odd example, that there are many like me,” Sheikha Lubna said. “I’m a walking example of defying stereotyping, not only of the UAE but also of [the] Arab and Muslim world. These books will be a reference.”
According to the World Bank’s latest figures, females comprised 13 per cent of the labour force in 2004. The figure was five per cent in 1980. Mariam Mohammed Khalfan al Roumi, the minister of social affairs, told the UN General Assembly in March that number had risen to 22.4 per cent.
“It’s not that women weren’t there,” Sheikha Lubna said. “My grandmother was an entrepreneur, a businesswoman. The culture itself has always been open for women, what is different is really the confidence of the women themselves. Sometimes women are self-deprecating.”
The key force driving the changing attitude of Emirati women was education, Sheikha Lubna said, adding that females now account for 70 per cent of university students nationwide.
Women were more of an economic force in the country not just because of how much money they have and the spending power that entailed, but also because of how they made that money in the first place.
“You see a lot of women who have wealth, like an inheritance, but that’s not really what we’re talking about. We’re talking about women as a natural force, evolving, developing, handling their money themselves, independently,” Sheikha Lubna said. “We see a lot start-up companies created by young women, organisations run by women.”
According to Forsa, a Dubai-based investment company run by women that exclusively deals with female clients, Arab women are becoming increasingly savvy about how they invest their money.
The firm, which launched last year, would not reveal how many clients it has on its books.
The minimum investment is one million dirhams, part of the firm’s bid to build a Dh1bn investment fund. The majority of Forsa’s clients are “high-end investors,” said an executive who requested anonymity.
In addition to female entrepreneurs, women were also making other inroads in the workforce.
There are more women than men employed in government organisations and ministries, according to the Dubai Women Establishment.
In 2004, there were 4,470 women to 4,271 Emirati men working in state organisations.
The Dubai Women Establishment declined to provide more recent figures, which will be included in its forthcoming report. But Maitha Buhumaid, the group’s communication’s director, said the numbers would indicate that women had made further advances.
“The numbers of women in business are shooting up, and our current research shows that we’re going to see more women leaders in different sectors,” said Ms Buhumaid.
“There are more opportunities offered for women, and women are more aware and better equipped through education and experience.”
The main obstacle to the further participation of Emirati women in the workforce was the age-old balancing act between work and family, Sheikha Lubna said.
“Balancing home and work is a critical matter to all women, regardless of where they come from,” she said. “The difference in a society like ours is that you actually have an assisting environment, whether there’s a nanny, a maid, extended family. That helps.
“But there are no sectors here that are restricted and men-only.”
No comments:
Post a Comment