His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s Legacy of Equality for Women
Sheikh Khalifa’s dedication to empowering women made him one of the world’s leaders in terms of gender equality
His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who passed away on Friday, May 13th 2022, will be remembered for many bold choices that helped transform the United Arab Emirates into an epicentre for business investment, a travel hub and a place of acceptance that opened its arms to expatriates from around the globe. One of his many achievements was his steadfast commitment to the equality of women.
“The late UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed faithfully carried the torch first lit by his father, the late Sheikh Zayed, who believed in his people and opened doors for them to develop and compete through education,” says Caroline Faraj, vice-president and editor-in-chief of CNN Arabic.
“Sheikh Khalifa took that vision and continued to expand it. He played a pivotal role in the country’s reforms and helped seed the progressive attitudes that continue to evolve and flourish today. In particular, this legacy can be seen in the Emirati women whose impressive leadership is steering many important aspects of modern life here. His loss is also felt across a region in which the UAE has become a beacon for what is possible in a modern society,” she adds.
Women in the UAE enjoy the same constitutional rights as men. And the country is ranked 1st out of 132 countries in the ‘Women Treated with Respect’ indicator in the Social Progress Index report that came out in 2014. Throughout Sheikh Khalifa’s reign laws, initiatives and strategies were put into place to champion gender equality in all areas.
From upholding the commitment to having a mandatory female presence on the board of directors for all governmental organisations and corporations; to implementing a National Strategy for empowering Emirati women, forming a Gender Balance Council; and expanding maternity leave as part of his National Strategy for Motherhood and Childhood, the list of His Highness’s accomplishments is long when it comes to his commitment to equity.
“He continued with the vision of building one of the greatest success stories of our modern history; he thrived on continuing the march for women’s empowerment, following his father’s ideology that half of the society comprises women, and the country won’t develop without one half, “ reflects Jacob Abrian, the founder and chief executive officer of the Arab Fashion Council.
“In 2005 he pursued a political grant that enabled women to participate for the first time in the elections of the Federal National Council, which later recorded the highest representation by women on a regional level. As he leaves us, at the age of 73, his achievement and legacy will consistently be embedded through this inspiring nation, one of our main drives to succeed on a global stage,” he adds.
One of the most recent equity acts put into place under Sheikh Khalifa’s rule was the Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021, which introduced significate reforms and put women’s empowerment at its epicentre. It came into effect on February 2, 2022 and, among other things, it stipulates equal pay for women doing the same job as men and prohibits discrimination in regards to employment duties in the same workplace; Article 14 of the new law expressively prohibits sexual harassment, bullying, or the use of verbal, physical, or emotional violence against employees by the employer, superiors or colleagues.
Leading by example Sheikh Khalifa helped many, including those in the blossoming national fashion industry, to understand at a fundamental level the benefits gender equity could have both for a business and a nation.
“As a designer whose mission is to empower women through cut, growing up in the UAE and being exposed to Sheikh Khalifa’s female empowerment initiatives was a great source of inspiration to my understanding of gender equality and the understanding that society thrives on a 50-50 social structure,” says fashion designer Andrea Brocca.
And for many expats living in the UAE, it is the commitment of the country’s leadership, of Sheikh Khalifa himself, to equality and tolerance that has marked them the most about their time here. This is the case for fashion designer Dima Ayad.
“I’ve grown up here. 40 years to be exact. I’ve travelled the world over and I never met a more tolerant, understanding, diverse nation than the UAE,” she says. “We’ve all been treated equally, we’ve all been given the utmost respect and dignity. This tolerant and diverse nation is home to hundreds of nationalities and religions setting a true example of how the world should be. Baba Zayed and his sons… have set an example the world over on how to run a country. It is a sad day for the UAE, we are mourning a loss of a great leader.”
Lead image courtesy of wam.ae