The Role of the Women in the Development of the UAE - Example

Running Header: The Role of the Women in the Development of the UAE Student’s Name: Instructor’s Name: Course Code: Date of Submission: Table of Contents Chapter 2-Barriers and Challenges Labour Laws…..……………………………………………………………… 3 Power of men…………………………………………………………………. 4 Worker Protests………………………………………………………………. 5 Government Priorities.........................................................................................5 Trade Unions…………………………………………………………………. 6 Aspects of Gender……………………………………………………………. 6 Society Traditions and Cultural Barriers............................................................7 Chapter 3-Government Efforts for Support and Motivation Equality………………………………………………………………………. 7 Education…………………………………………………………………….. 8 Women’s Union……………………………………………………………… 9 Promotions…………………………………………………………………… 9 Scholarships………………………………………………………………….. 10 Employments………………………………………………………………… 11 Entrepreneurship……………………………………………………………... 13 Participatory Politics…………………………………………………………. 14 References…………………………………………………………………………… 15 The Role of the Women in the Development of the UAE Chapter 2-Barriers and Challenges Labour Laws In many companies and organizations there are stipulated labour laws. The laws are applicable in the companies and organizations for a specific reason. The reason is to ensure that there is an active platform for each and every employee and employer to co-exist and work together under the expected conditions. The women in these companies and organizations have a role to develop in the countries overall goals and expectations. However, there are very many organizations and companies that have been reported to go against labour laws. Most of these organizations and companies are private (Roth, 2010). It is not possible for employees to work well if these organizations go against the set labour laws. The labour laws will ensure that everyone in the company or organization, including the women get fair and favourable working conditions. This will ensure that it is possible for them to be as productive as they are expected to be in any given situation (Roth, 2010). This has created a scenario where the participation of the women in the labour force is ranked at 43% out of the possible 100%. 37% is represented by women who do not participate in the labour laws and their expectations. The remaining 20% are totally undecided on the right thing to do in respect to the set labour laws (Sheikh-Miller, 2010). The reason for this is because they do not belong to the work force and neither do they understand its importance. They hardly receive the basic education that is required in respect to the issue of the labour laws. The education is very essential because it creates the platform for them to be totally knowledgeable on the issue. This then leads more women to understand what is expected of them and their employers in the workplace (Whitson, 2009). Power of Men Most people in the UAE are Muslims (Briggs, Mueller & Sullivan, 1997). In the Islam religion, men usually have a lot of power over the women in a variety of ways. However, in the UAE, women are given equal opportunities as men. That is why in many universities and schools, the enrolment of women is higher than that of men. Women are respected in society and given equal opportunities as men. They are allowed to participate in development activities in the country. In the UAE, the situation is different because the power of men does not have negative influence on women. Despite being an Islamic country, the women in UAE are respected and accorded equal opportunities by men. The power of men does not have negative impacts on women because men do not control the women in everything that they do. The women are empowered to contribute to the development of the country without being put down by the men. UAE, unlike other Arab states, respects the value of women in society. Women also have the power to be involved in the development of the country. The men mainly have some powers at home such as being the head of the family but this does not hinder the women from contributing to the development of the country. The women are simply required to be submissive at home and in society but they are not hindered from participating in development and politics (Whitson, 2009). Worker Protests The workplace has many issues that need to be addressed in the right ways. The UAE has stipulated legislations that prohibit any worker from protesting and exclaiming their anger or opinions in that sort of way. Sometimes worker protests do have the persuasive ability that all other methods fail. They are a sign of unity and in many areas they yield positive results (Roth, 2010). If the government restricts or prohibits worker protests, it is practically impossible to express oneself in this type of way. This renders them with limited forms of negotiations. All in all this means that they have to either be content with the existing situation or to look for other methods to arrive at a solution that best suits them. This is not possible in many cases. This creates a situation where the women, just like the other employees have to make do with the situation at hand (Whitson, 2009). Government Priorities The government is concerned about the issues that arise in the workplaces. It has prioritized this concerns and it does everything in its power to ensure that the issues that may arise in the workplace are dealt with. The workplace has very many issues that need to be addressed in all the right ways (Whitson, 2009). The UAE has stipulated legislations that prohibit any worker from protesting and exclaiming their anger or opinions in that sort of way. Sometimes worker protests do have the persuasive ability that all other methods fail. They are a sign of unity and in many areas they yield positive results (Roth, 2010). If the government restricts or prohibits worker protests, it is practically impossible to express oneself in this type of way. The women do not have any way but to respect the existing legislations. This renders them with limited forms of negotiations. This means that they have to either make do with the existing situation or to look for other methods to arrive at a solution that best suits them. This is not possible in many cases. This therefore creates a situation where the women, just like the other employees have to make do with the situation at hand (Whitson, 2009). Trade Unions Trade unions have the ability to come up with fool proof strategies for all the workers. They ensure that they all have the ability to fight for all the needs and expectations of the employees in any company or organization. The issue of trade unions comes in the UAE because they do not allow the formation of any trade unions. They discourage the formation and the practise of the trade unions. The legislations in many ways affect all the people involved. They however affect the women more because they discourage the fighting of women’s rights and their attainment of all the things that will best work in their favour (Sheikh-Miller, 2010). Aspects of Gender In many countries all over the world, the population of men supersedes that of women. This is a challenge and barrier in so many ways. The process of development is basically about numbers. This means that the men have advantages in relation to the number that go to school, get educated and trained. This advantage is then repeated in the employment sector where the men have higher chances of being employed in many of the sectors of the economy. Once this happens, the men singlehandedly monopolise the employment sector. This creates a situation where it is very hard for the women to come in and take the slots left over or to work with their male counterparts (Herr & Cramer, 1996). The gender equation is also very clear when it comes to issue of investment and spending. If there are few women employed, it means that few can save and invest in all areas of the economy. It means that it is practically impossible to come up with strategies that will work in the favour of the women in the developmental process. This will greatly limit the women and their capacity in the developmental process (Niles & Harris-Bowlsbey, 2002). Society Traditions and Cultural Barriers The society has different expectations on both its male and female. This is based on the realisation that the two have very diverse roles in society. Women are well trained to play family roles while the men are trained to join the workforce (Niles & Harris-Bowlsbey, 2002). This creates the margin that is experienced by the workforce as the women lack the skills and expertise to form a considerable share in the workforce. The women are taught to cater for their husbands and children and the growth and maturation of their homes (Whitson, 2009). Chapter 3-Government Efforts for Support and Motivation The government in each and every country have a responsibility to ensure that they greatly support and motivate the women in their country. This has the sole aim of ensuring that they are greatly encouraged to participate in the development process of the country. This can be done in so many ways. The UAE has realised this and has put in place effective strategies to ensure that they support and motivate their women (DuBois, 1997). This ensures that women are given the chance to participate in the development of their country. Equality Equality is a very sensitive and thorny issue in Islamic states. The man is seen as the top in society. After him comes everything else. This has affected the way that the woman is seen in that society. There are many examples that highlight and show that the role of the woman is looked down upon in society. Such countries include Iraq, Iran, and Saudi Arabia amongst many others. The UAE government realised that the woman was no different from her male counterpart. This led them to ensure that there was equality in all the practises and activities in the country (Briggs, Mueller & Sullivan, 1997). The constitution of UAE protects the rights of both men and women. This creates a situation where the activities that the men can conduct the women can too. Equality is appreciated in all ways. This creates a situation where it possible for the women to work as much as they can. This is because at the end of the day, they are considered as equally important as their male counterparts. This aspect ensures that they have the ability to compete actively with their male partners. This then positively affects the economy in all the expected aspects. This aspect of equality ensures that they have the ability to have a decent education and training to effectively compete with their partners. A good example can be observed in the military which offers space for equally deserving male and females (Whitson, 2009). Education Education is important for each and every individual. This creates a situation where the individuals go through a formal process of orientation. At all levels, the women and men in the UAE are given a chance to get educated from the lowest to the highest level possible. Once this is done, there are chances that the women and the men have equal opportunity to specialise either at the higher institutions of learning or technical training institutes. Once they receive this training, they have the capacity to come forth and compete actively for all the available chances. There is nothing as empowering as education. Once women have received education, they have the power to converse and make decisions. These decisions will be in the best interest of the country. This is especially as it goes through the process of development and advancement through the application of the acquired educational standards. This is at all levels during the process of education and training. The whole of UAE can be described by the use of a simple pie chart. The chart is a representation that shows 91% of all females are literate. This is as compared to the 9% that have not received any form of literacy education (UNDP, 2010). Women’s Union The country allows the formation of women’s union. The unions are active in the fighting of the women’s rights in the country. They also act as a chance for the women to get all the information that they want in relation to the subject at hand. Some common examples of the women’s union include the General Women’s Federation (GWU) and the Women’s Federation (WF). These unions are in UAE. It should be noted that they are not trade unions. They are unions that come up with strategies that will ensure that the woman has active chances of improving her life (Whitson, 2009). The societies ensure that women have chances of improving their lives by providing the much needed advice, financial aid and any other issues that may arise. These activities that are carried out in these unions are encouraging and supportive of the women and all their activities. This creates a scenario where the women can actively engage in the development process of the community at each and every step (DuBois, 1997). This encourages her to talk and share ideas and opinions with other women. The women then employ them in their day to day lives at each and every step. Promotions There is nothing as supportive and motivating as a promotion at the workplace. A promotion shows that one’s work and effort have been recognised and are being rewarded. This is the case in the UAE. Deserving people are rewarded for their work and efforts at the workplace. This includes the women and it shows them that as much as they work hard, they will reap the benefits of their hard work at all the sectors of the economy. The women are encouraged to work as hard as they can because the promotions come with additional perks for the employees. Promotions are a form rewarding women for the job that they have been doing well. Some other forms of promotions come in the form of scholarships. They could include training where exemplary women are rewarded for their hard work (Pope, 2009). An example of such a reward is the Mohammed Bin Rashid Awards for young business leaders which has seen some women awarded. Scholarships At each and every step there are people in society that will need to be provided with scholarships. The government has shown support for successful individuals by offering them scholarships. The scholarships come at different levels in the country’s educational system. Many young women have been educated through basic education and secondary through scholarship programmes. After their successful and exemplary completion, many have received scholarships to study courses of their choice at the university level and this has motivated many young ladies to work as hard as they can. The reason for this has been because of the chance that stands out in the help offered by the government. The act by the government has ensured that many people have the chance to get as educated as they can and the women have the chance to effectively compete with their male counterparts for opportunities. It also shows that there are mechanisms and strategies that allow the growth and sustainability of the activities that can be conducted by the women in this society (Whitson, 2009). Through scholarship grants, women get access to educational opportunities that allow them to have higher chances of succeeding in life. Employments After education every person expects employment. The UAE has many sectors that ensure economic growth. This is with regard to the set structures that will ensure that it is possible to provide employment for all the educated masses. Currently, a recently held survey showed that the sectors of education and health are dominated by the presence of the women. However, unlike Saudi Arabia the women are not limited to work in these professions only. They are allowed to work in any of the professions that they have specialised and qualified to work in. This could be in the military, court rooms and in the hotel industry (Chafe, 1972). Both women and men are provided with the opportunity to get employed on the basis of their credentials. This is because the government provides a channel and chance for the women to work in the areas that best suits them. It is at this stage that the issue of passion comes into question. If one person is interested in law and all it entails, she has a chance to pursue her dream because UAE does not restrict the education and development of women. Once she has pursued her dream, she can positively contribute to the overall development for her country. This ensures that women remain committed to the development of the country because they have been made to feel part of it. Employment can be represented by the 66% of women working in the public sector. The remaining percentage consists of the male workers (UNDP, 2010). The sector has ensured the constant growth and sustainability of the women by ensuring that they get regular training to compliment the desires of the workplace. It should be noted that 37% out of the 66% of the women work in very senior positions. This shows that the UAE does not segregate on all the deserving people (UNDP, 2010). Entrepreneurship Trade has greatly improved in the country. The intra and inter trade has provided mechanisms that have ensured that the country continues to develop in all aspects. Women have not been left behind. The minister responsible for foreign trade in UAE, Sheikha Lubna Bint Khalid Al Qasimi, has ensured that there are mechanisms in place that will cater for the growth of enterprising women. It should be noted that she is a woman. She got the position as a result of the hard work that she conducted in the foreign trade docket. This is through the creation of loans. The loans are affordable to the women. They require cheap interest rates. They have greatly influenced the way the women in the region have invested heavily in trade. For example, the International Business Women group was set up in the 1980s to represent women entrepreneurs (Grogan & Proscio, 2002). The need to incorporate women in development arises from the fact that they are part of the country and the country recognizes them as part of the development process. This meant that it was not possible to develop all other sectors of the economy and leave the women behind (Whitson, 2009). This ensured that the women were adequately taken care of in the economic activities of the country. It has now become possible for the women to access goods and services and sell them back at a stipulated price making the necessary profits. The profits were then injected back into the economy. This ensured that development was an ever continuing process (Von Hoffman, 2003). The general process of trade ensures that the women have a source of income and that they can earn their own living through trade. This is with respect to their time and talents. Once they do so, they reduce the statistics that represent the high numbers of unemployed people in society (Whitson, 2009). Participatory Politics Women have the capacity to participate in the developmental process. In many regions all over the world, women are not made to feel part of the political process. They are not allowed equal chances to participate in politics as the men. Once this happens, policies are formulated that do not augur well with them and their capacity. This then renders them useless in the same society that they are expected to develop. Politics in the UAE is participatory (Whitson, 2009). This means that women are allowed to participate in politics and are included in the overall process of decision making. Once the policies are formulated, they are all inclusive, meaning that they include both men and women. This encourages the women to come up with strategies that compliment their capacity as women because they were part of the decision making process (Ferguson & William, 1999). Women are seen as an integral part of the UAE community. They have the ability to steer and develop many aspects of the economy. They include the levels of governance, diplomacy, ministerial positions and other forms of leadership posts. This act of ensuring that women are included in the politics of the country ensures that the country is successful (Glass, 2007). The levels and areas of employment in UAE are represented by the table below. There are women who represent the federal national council, cabinet positions and female representatives abroad (Grogan & Proscio, 2002). Percentage Positions Representative Numbers 22.5 % Federal National Council 9 17 % Cabinet Positions. They include minister of social affairs, foreign trade and ministers of staff 4 10.5 % Female representatives abroad. 4 References “Saudi Arabia Blocks Religious Websites,” Christianity Today, August 7, 2002. See: http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2002/130/31.0.html. (11184) “Arab Women Moving Fast, but Still Far to Go,” (2010). UN Development Program. Retrieved 7th October 2011 from, http://www.rbas.undp.org/ahdr/press_kits2002/PR4.pdf. (11677) Briggs, X., Mueller, E., & Sullivan, M. (1997). 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