Keep your eyes, ears and mind open
So welcome to 2015. It’s New Year’s Day as I write this and it’s cold and rainy in the UK. We have just thawed out after the recent cold snap. The holidays have been and gone so I thought this would be a perfect time to introduce some of the trailblazing women I got to know through my recent trip to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It’s currently their ‘cool’ season too, but at 19 degrees Celsius is a bit more my cup of tea than the icy chill of home at present…
She believed she could, so she did
I’ve mentioned before that I’ve found through my work on Womanthology that actually, the challenges (and opportunities) women face at work or as entrepreneurs are pretty similar the developed world over. Over and above access to resources, the main things that set apart women who make progress are closely correlated with attitude and mind set. This reminds me of one of my favourite quotes from R.S.Grey: “She believed she could, so she did.”
So I’ve gathered together a collection of women I came into contact with who decided that they wanted to make a difference, to their own lives and to the lives of others. The things they all have in common are that they set out to achieve something that they wanted and they made it happen by harnessing their skills, connections and imaginations.
I’ve been pondering over the factors that being based in Dubai and the UAE bring into play. Certainly, all the evidence suggests that the place has a distinctive culture around work and entrepreneurship which creates definite opportunities for professional women:
Rough Guide to Dubai and the United Arab Emirates
- The United Arab Emirates, often referred to as the Emirates or the UAE, is a country located in the southeast end of the Arabian Peninsula on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman to the east and Saudi Arabia to the south, as well as sharing sea borders with Qatar and Iran.
- The UAE is a federation of seven emirates , each of which is governed by a hereditary ruler who jointly form the Federal Supreme Council.
(Source: Wikipedia)
Population
- In 2013, the UAE’s total population was 9.2 million, of which 1.4 million are Emirati citizens and 7.8 million are expatriates.
(Source: Wikipedia)
Economy
- The UAE’s oil reserves are the seventh-largest in the world. The late Sheikh Zayed, ruler of Abu Dhabi and the first President of the UAE, oversaw the development of the Emirates and steered oil revenues into healthcare, education and infrastructure.
- The UAE’s economy is diversified, with its most populous city, Dubai in particular developing into a global hub for tourism, retail, and finance. Nevertheless, the country remains extremely reliant on oil; more than 85% of the economy was based on the oil exports in 2009, while oil exports accounted for 77% of the state budget in 2011.
(Source: Wikipedia)
Women in the UAE
The UAE Government released a report in autumn 2008, “Women in the United Arab Emirates: A Portrait of Progress”, which outlined several key developments and challenges associated with women’s progress in the country. Women make up almost half of the population so the UAE Government developed gender empowerment strategies that aimed to energise and utilise women’s roles in the public and private sectors to ensure all career paths were opened up to them.
Education
A 2009 report, “The Hidden Gender Gap in Education in the UAE”, by Natasha Ridge from the Dubai School of Government reported a significant gender skills gap in the UAE, where Emirati girls significantly outperformed boys in terms of lower dropout rates and higher grades.
The same author also writes in Gulf News that, “Today more than 70% of Emiratis in federal higher education institutions are women. While the female enrolment rate is outstripping that of males in the USA, the UK and Australia, in the Gulf, and in the UAE and Qatar in particular, there are more than three times the number of women than men in public universities. The reasons behind this trend are complex and not easily disentangled; they involve family, school and the state.”
She also observes that Emirati school girls, who are predominantly taught by Emirati women teachers, not only pass more exams but also make it further up the career ladder.
Female labour participation
UAE has the highest percentage of total female labour participation in the Gulf Cooperation Council Countries (including expatriate women) and the contribution of national women to the economy increased from 9.6% in 1986 to 33.4% in 2007, representing 3.5% annual growth. Women are represented across all sectors of the economy, but they dominate in education (40% of all employees) and health (35% of all employees).
Women in business
The Government has encouraged women’s participation in economic development. As at 2008, 48% of women business-owners are the sole owners of their firms. Within the business sector, the UAE possess the largest number of businesswomen in the region where entrepreneurship is becoming increasingly popular. At the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange, women constitute around 43% of its investors.
At the forefront of Emirati women in business is Sheikha Lubna bint Khalid bin Sultan al Qasimi, appointed Minister for Economy and Planning in November 2004 and subsequently promoted to her current post as Minister of Foreign Trade. Sheikha Lubna holds the distinction of being the first woman to hold a ministerial post in the country. Her efforts have led her to be rated within the Forbes Magazine’s 100 Most Powerful Women.
Women in Government
Within the public sector, governmental employment for Emirati women has increased from 11.6% in 1995, 22% in 2005 and 66% as of June 2007. In September 2008, Hassa Al Otaiba and Sheikha Najla Al Qasimi became the UAE’s first female ambassadors, serving Spain and Sweden respectively. By 2006, women accounted for over 22% of the Federal National Council. The UAE’s minister of state post is Reem Al Hashimi, who is the first female minister in this role.
So that’s the reports and statistics, but what about the women themselves? Here’s what some of our contributors say:
Lalitya Dhavala, Branch secretary for the Royal Aeronautical Society in the UAE
“…I have been fortunate enough to have been raised in Dubai, away from many social stereotypes surrounding girls’ education. I have loved staying here for the exposure towards people from varying nationalities, backgrounds, thinking and the developing nature of Dubai in the UAE. It is an inspirational country that has done so much in so little time. A principle close to my heart…”
Khulood Thani, Fashion Designer and Founder of BINT THANI
“…For me it’s a kind of society where men and women are completing each other and not competing with each other. That’s the way that we are brought up and that’s something good. We’re getting the same rights.
We’re supported and they’re supported, so we’re really lucky to be here…”
Nadine Halabi, Business Development Manager of the Dubai Business Women Council
“…In Dubai and the UAE, I don’t find that entrepreneurs face any challenges. On the contrary, I see that they are well supported. Thanks to the UAE leadership’s support and admiration towards providing equal opportunities for business women in the UAE , it is phenomenal to see how women from all over the world make it their new home and establish their life long dreams of being a business woman or owning their own…”
Lina Husri, Founder of fashion and beauty PR company, THINK SMART:
“…I call the United Arab Emirates “the land of opportunities”! Here people like me who have been working for several years can afford to open their own company. I know lots of stories of successful entrepreneurs. In the UAE, women get lots of respect and support, specifically when you are a visionary and you’ve got an idea…”
Alison Collins, Founder of The Majlis Gallery
“…This country is so very supportive of individuals with slightly whacky ideas; It’s a “think it, do it” culture that is not afraid of diving in at the deep end. That said it also a very safe and caring country that allows people to develop ideas into fruition along carefully thought out business guidelines that give a fair basis for healthy competition…”
Karen Williams, Deputy Director for UK Trade & Investment in Dubai
“…There are no restrictions for women wanting to do business anywhere in the UAE…”
So, in conclusion I’d say that my time in Dubai taught me a great deal. It taught me to forget what I thought I knew about different cultures and to keep my eyes, ears and mind open. I arrived in the UAE with my preconceptions about what Dubai would be like, not knowing a single soul, and I returned home with a head full of new ideas and a mass of new friends.
The women I met were nothing like me and everything like me at the same time. There are undoubtedly fantastic professional opportunities for women in the UAE, but over and above that, the thing all the women I met have in common is belief. If you believe it, you can achieve it. Never forget this, surround yourself with the right people and you never know how far your ideas will take you.
