During this tumultuous year, many outstanding female politicians have demonstrated their gift for leadership in their own countries and on the world stage. In the Middle East, a whole generation of them has seen its position strengthened.
A record 364 Jordanian women are running in the country’s parliamentary elections, which are taking place today. This is a 44 per cent increase from the last elections, in 2016. Three all-women electoral lists have been formed and the number of female candidates far exceeds the minimum number of seats allocated for women by a legal quota.
In Egypt, meanwhile, Parliament approved in June an amendment to the constitution that allocates 25 per cent of all seats to women.
In the immediate term, quotas are a crucial step in guaranteeing better female representation, advancing the rights of women and ensuring that their voices are heard. But allocations must translate into action, lest they risk becoming tokenistic. Iran, for instance, prides itself on empowering women to take an active role in the workforce. In a statement in September, an Iranian official publicly affirmed that there is no legal impediment to a woman running for president in next year’s elections. But in a country where female representatives account for a mere six per cent of seats in Parliament, such a feat appears unlikely.
In much of the region, women who aspire to high office are targeted for harassment, if not by authorities then by private citizens. A Jordanian study published last week revealed that one in three female candidates for the parliamentary elections said they were targeted by cyberbullies. This trend is as evident across the Middle East as it is in the wider world. Women continue to pay a heavy price for speaking out and being in the public eye. Last month Reporters Without Borders condemned an online hate campaign directed at three Lebanese female journalists.
Embedding representation in law and encouraging the public and private sectors to give women a voice is key to empowering them in the long run. That strategy is familiar in the UAE, where it has bolstered female representation and women's rights with great success. According to the World Economic Forum's latest Global Gender Gap report, the UAE is the leading country when it comes to gender equality in the region.
Embedding representation in law is key to empowering women in the long run
Fifty per cent of the UAE's Federal National Council are women. Total parity has become mandatory following a 2018 presidential decree. The Emirates has also issued landmark decisions to advance equality in the workplace. In September, a presidential decree was issued to ensure that women are granted equal pay for equal work.
It is time for the region to move past gender stereotypes, and strive towards parity. Recent developments indicate that many countries in the Middle East are moving in the right direction. But there is undoubtedly a long way to go, both in terms of the region’s culture and its statistics on representation and pay. But each advancement is hugely significant, for the sake of millions of women and young girls in the region who must believe, for everyone’s benefit, that they can have a seat at the table of power.
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Director: Shady Ali
Cast: Boumi Fouad , Mohamed Tharout and Hisham Ismael
Rating: 3/5
The specs
Engine: 2.3-litre, turbo four-cylinder
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Power: 300hp
Torque: 420Nm
Price: Dh189,900
On sale: now
Company Profile
Name: Thndr Started: 2019 Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr Sector: FinTech Headquarters: Egypt UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi Current number of staff: More than 150 Funds raised: $22 million
A new relationship with the old country
Treaty of Friendship between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates
The United kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates; Considering that the United Arab Emirates has assumed full responsibility as a sovereign and independent State; Determined that the long-standing and traditional relations of close friendship and cooperation between their peoples shall continue; Desiring to give expression to this intention in the form of a Treaty Friendship; Have agreed as follows:
ARTICLE 1 The relations between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates shall be governed by a spirit of close friendship. In recognition of this, the Contracting Parties, conscious of their common interest in the peace and stability of the region, shall: (a) consult together on matters of mutual concern in time of need; (b) settle all their disputes by peaceful means in conformity with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations.
ARTICLE 2 The Contracting Parties shall encourage education, scientific and cultural cooperation between the two States in accordance with arrangements to be agreed. Such arrangements shall cover among other things: (a) the promotion of mutual understanding of their respective cultures, civilisations and languages, the promotion of contacts among professional bodies, universities and cultural institutions; (c) the encouragement of technical, scientific and cultural exchanges.
ARTICLE 3 The Contracting Parties shall maintain the close relationship already existing between them in the field of trade and commerce. Representatives of the Contracting Parties shall meet from time to time to consider means by which such relations can be further developed and strengthened, including the possibility of concluding treaties or agreements on matters of mutual concern.
ARTICLE 4 This Treaty shall enter into force on today’s date and shall remain in force for a period of ten years. Unless twelve months before the expiry of the said period of ten years either Contracting Party shall have given notice to the other of its intention to terminate the Treaty, this Treaty shall remain in force thereafter until the expiry of twelve months from the date on which notice of such intention is given.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned have signed this Treaty.
DONE in duplicate at Dubai the second day of December 1971AD, corresponding to the fifteenth day of Shawwal 1391H, in the English and Arabic languages, both texts being equally authoritative.
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
If you go
Flying
Despite the extreme distance, flying to Fairbanks is relatively simple, requiring just one transfer in Seattle, which can be reached directly from Dubai with Emirates for Dh6,800 return.
Touring
Gondwana Ecotours’ seven-day Polar Bear Adventure starts in Fairbanks in central Alaska before visiting Kaktovik and Utqiarvik on the North Slope. Polar bear viewing is highly likely in Kaktovik, with up to five two-hour boat tours included. Prices start from Dh11,500 per person, with all local flights, meals and accommodation included; gondwanaecotours.com
Roll of honour: Who won what in 2018/19?
West Asia Premiership: Winners – Bahrain; Runners-up – Dubai Exiles
UAE Premiership: Winners – Abu Dhabi Harlequins; Runners-up– Jebel Ali Dragons
