C O M P I L E D BY: O L I V I A M O R R I S
THE WOMEN OF FIRSTS
As the UAE celebrates its 50th year, Emirates Woman looks at some of the most inspirational women who have shaped the nation to become what we know it as today
Her Excellency Sheikha Lubna bint Khalid Al Qasimi is a groundbreaking female figure in the UAE. In 2004, she became the first woman in the country to hold a ministerial position after she was appointed Minister of Economy. Throughout the years, Sheikha Lubna has held a number of ministerial positions in the UAE government including Minister of Foreign Trade, Minister of International Cooperation and Development and Minister of Tolerance, a position which she held until 2017. “The UAE has established itself as a role model for the region in this field, opening the door for women to invest in business and establish their own enterprises,” she said in 2017 at the Women’s Economic Empowerment conference held in Dubai. “Today, we have thousands of businesswomen running investments worth billions of dirhams. We look forward to sharing our experience and insights with participants at this important global event.”
HER HIGHNESS SHEIKHA FATIMA BINT MUBARAK AL KETBI Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Al Ketbi is one of the leading female figures in the UAE. As the wife of the late Sheikh Zayed, the Father of the Nation, Sheikha Fatima is known as the Mother of the Nation. She has always been passionate about evolving women’s rights in the UAE, even from the unification of the emirates. So much so, she sponsored the establishment for the first-ever dedicated women’s society in the UAE – the Abu Dhabi Women’s Development Association, which launched on February 8, 1973. Two years later, in August 1975, the General
HER HIGHNESS SHEIKHA MANAL BINT MOHAMMED AL MAKTOUM As the eldest daughter of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, Her Highness Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed Al Maktoum has followed in her father’s footsteps to ensure she’s making a difference. In 2003, Sheikha Manal – wife of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs – founded Dubai Ladies Club, which is located in Jumei-
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Women’s Union was established and Sheikha Fatima was appointed chairwoman, a position she holds until this day. Since then, Sheikha Fatima has gone on to establish over 30 other organisations and initiatives aiming to support the development and growth of women in the region. “The women of our nation should be proud of the vital role they play in the service of our country,” she has previously said. “Women are partners in the struggle, in the past, present and future. There is nothing achieved by the Union of our State that has not benefited women.”
rah. She went on to launch the Dubai Women’s Establishment in 2006, an organization that encourages and facilitates the participation of Emirati women in the workforce and society. Her most recent role in championing the role of women in the UAE is as Chairperson of the UAE Gender Balance Council. The main aims of the Council are to reduce the gender gap across all government sectors and to enhance the UAE’s ranking in global competitiveness reports on gender equality.
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HER EXCELLENCY SHEIKHA LUBNA BINT KHALID AL QASIMI
F E AT U R E
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