‘Future Prospects for Women in Parliamentary Work’

The Ministry of State for Federal National Council Affairs (MFNCA) has organised the third lecture under the ‘Neighbourhood Majlis’ initiative, which sought to promote awareness of the upcoming Federal National Council (FNC) elections, promote a culture of political participation in the community, and highlight the parliamentary accomplishments made over the past 50 years.

Titled ‘Future Prospects for Women in Parliamentary Work’, the lecture was held in collaboration with the Citizens Affairs Office at the Rulers Court of the Government of Ajman on Thursday, June 9, 2022, at the Emirates Hospitality Center Ajman, and featured Dr. Ahmed Al Mansouri, Expert in International Law and International Relations, who focused on two key topics: the UAE’s role as an exceptional role model in women’s empowerment, and the UAE’s international standing in terms of women’s empowerment.

His Excellency Sami Mohammed bin Adi, Assistant Undersecretary for Support Services Sector at the MFNCA, asserted that the ‘Neighbourhood Majlis’ initiative aims to promote political awareness among all members of the UAE community to encourage effective participation in the upcoming FNC elections. “This, in turn, is a pillar of the political development process in the country, engaging members of the community in efforts to serve and advance the Emirates, and driving more development and prosperity,” H.E. said.

“Organising this lecture forms part of the Ministry’s continuous efforts to promote a culture of political participation in Emirati society,” H.E. bin Adi added. “It sheds light on the effective contributions women have made towards meeting the aspirations and directions of our wise leadership to cement the UAE’s position on the world stage, and to fulfil its vision for the country’s Centennial.”

Dr. Al Mansouri spoke about the achievements of the UAE in empowering women, especially in the parliamentary field. He highlighted the historic decision of the late Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan in 2019, to increase women’s representation in the Federal National Council to 50%, in line with the vision and directives of our wise leadership, who believe in women’s abilities, potential, and active role in serving society and driving development and prosperity in the UAE.

The lecturer also indicated that the UAE is the first country in the GCC and second in the Arab world to launch a national strategy for empowering women, in order to protect the accomplishment women have made in the UAE’s journey over the past 50 years, as well as to support them to achieve more success in the next 50 years, and empower them through national initiatives to advance their position and ensure their success across all sectors.

Furthermore, Dr. Al Mansouri noted that the UAE’s wise leadership has created all the necessary conditions and tools to enable women to assume the highest positions in the country and make achievements that reverberate on a global scale. “The leadership has provided Emirati women with the expertise and skills they need to play an active part in the UAE’s development and prosperity,” he said. “They have also been empowered – as they represent half of the FNC – to be involved in the national decision-making process, actively discussing the issues of concern to the country and its citizens and finding appropriate solutions for them.”

“This process of empowerment that the UAE has led to empower women and expand the role they play in society has enabled them to make a notable impact on parliamentary work in the country,” Dr. Al Mansouri explained. “This was clearly demonstrated in the active role that women had in all electoral cycles since 2006, both as voters and as candidates. The United Arab Emirates has earned an advanced position on the Proportion of Women in Parliament Index, as per Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) reports, as well as the Female Parliamentary Representation Index of the International Institute for Management Development (IMD) World Competitiveness Yearbook.”

Now in its fifth edition, the ‘Neighbourhood Majlis’ initiative is hosting a group of prominent experts in its lectures, which are organised across all seven emirates to explore various topics, facilitate meaningful communication, raise political awareness, and promote a culture of political participation among all segments of the community.