The Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority is rolling out a new assessment to improve the quality of offerings young children are exposed to beyond nursery and school.
The system, developed by the ECA, will look at programmes such as camps, after-school classes, children’s libraries, playgrounds, as well as children’s museums and cultural centres with dedicated spaces for children.
Launched in the run up to Emirati Children's Day, which falls on March 15 every year, Sana bint Mohamed Suhail, Minister of Family and Director General of the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority, said: “By prioritising quality, safety and enrichment, we are working to ensure that every child in Abu Dhabi has the opportunity to grow, explore, and thrive in environments that nurture their full potential."
"We believe that the offerings and services being assessed will also benefit, as it helps to increase their attractiveness, potentially drawing in more families.”
For the moment, the assessment will target children up to eight years old. In the future, there are plans to include services for children up to 18 years of age, state news agency Wam reported.
The assessment system will be based on global leading practices, but customised to the UAE’s culture, values and context.
Emirati Children's Day
Emirati Children's Day was first announced by Sheikha Fatima, Mother of the Nation, in 2018.
The day aims to create awareness of children’s rights, as well as highlight the need for them to grow in a healthy, safe and supportive environment. It is observed on March 15 because it was on this date in 2016 that Federal Law No 3 on Child Rights Law, widely known as Wadeema's Law, was passed in the UAE.
The legislation was set out to secure the rights of children and protect them against all forms of abuse.
It was prompted by the tragic case of Wadeema, an eight-year-old Emirati girl whose death shocked the nation when her body was found buried in the Sharjah desert in 2012, after she had been tortured by her father and his partner.
Emirati Children's Day helps to recognise the strides made due to the 2016 law. The UN's International Children's Day falls later in the year, on November 20.
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Company name: baraka
Started: July 2020
Founders: Feras Jalbout and Kunal Taneja
Based: Dubai and Bahrain
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $150,000
Current staff: 12
Stage: Pre-seed capital raising of $1 million
Investors: Class 5 Global, FJ Labs, IMO Ventures, The Community Fund, VentureSouq, Fox Ventures, Dr Abdulla Elyas (private investment)
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Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
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Jetour T1 specs
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BIO:
Born in RAK on December 9, 1983
Lives in Abu Dhabi with her family
She graduated from Emirates University in 2007 with a BA in architectural engineering
Her motto in life is her grandmother’s saying “That who created you will not have you get lost”
Her ambition is to spread UAE’s culture of love and acceptance through serving coffee, the country’s traditional coffee in particular.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Gender equality in the workplace still 200 years away
It will take centuries to achieve gender parity in workplaces around the globe, according to a December report from the World Economic Forum.
The WEF study said there had been some improvements in wage equality in 2018 compared to 2017, when the global gender gap widened for the first time in a decade.
But it warned that these were offset by declining representation of women in politics, coupled with greater inequality in their access to health and education.
At current rates, the global gender gap across a range of areas will not close for another 108 years, while it is expected to take 202 years to close the workplace gap, WEF found.
The Geneva-based organisation's annual report tracked disparities between the sexes in 149 countries across four areas: education, health, economic opportunity and political empowerment.
After years of advances in education, health and political representation, women registered setbacks in all three areas this year, WEF said.
Only in the area of economic opportunity did the gender gap narrow somewhat, although there is not much to celebrate, with the global wage gap narrowing to nearly 51 per cent.
And the number of women in leadership roles has risen to 34 per cent globally, WEF said.
At the same time, the report showed there are now proportionately fewer women than men participating in the workforce, suggesting that automation is having a disproportionate impact on jobs traditionally performed by women.
And women are significantly under-represented in growing areas of employment that require science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills, WEF said.
* Agence France Presse
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More coverage from the Future Forum
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
