Dr Gargash, while delivering a lecture at the Emirati Leaders Gathering organised by the Dubai Women Establishment (DWE) on Monday, said that a lot of women candidates are expected to take part in the FNC elections this year.
The participation of women in the parliament process shows the leadership’s confidence in women’s capabilities as a key partner in the development of the nation, he said.
“Emirati women have proved their efficiency and ability to handle various positions and responsibilities. Women members accounted for 23 per cent of the total strength of the previous FNC. It reflects their effective contribution into the national development and the leadership’s concern to give women the opportunity to participate in the political decision making,” said Dr Gargash.
First FNC election was held in December 2006 in which 452 candidates, including 63 women, contested. One woman member was elected and the government nominated eight others, taking overall representation of women in the 40-member FNC to 22.5 per cent.
“This is a unique blend between being modern and conserving the national identity,” the minister said. According to the minister, “Today, women represent 59 per cent of the total workforce in the UAE public sector and we have four women ministers.”
The UAE sets a remarkable example in empowering women in the Middle East and North Africa, as per a study issued by the United Nations, stated Dr Gargash. He said the electoral experience that began in 2006 in the UAE has made continuous progress based on well-designed strategies aimed to develop the FNC and promote political participation in the country.
“What we are witnessing in the region today is a way to show that the UAE has chosen the right course by adopting the strategy of gradual change to build on the achievements, instead of compromising on them,” he said.
The lecture was attended by Tariq Hilal Lootah, Undersecretary of the Ministry of State for Federal National Council Affairs and member of the NEC; Brigadier Mohammed Ahmed Al Marri, Director of the Dubai Naturalisation and Residency Administration; Tayeb Al Rais, Secretary-General of the Awqaf and Minors Affairs Foundation (AMAF); and Saeed Al Ghafli, Assistant Undersecretary for FNC and the Committee’s Rapporteur.
