By Ayesha Al Khoori
On Friday, the country will celebrate its first first ever Emirati Women’s Day, which this year will be dedicated to females in the military. Emirati women now serve in various capacities in the Armed Services, whether that be snipers, weapons trainers, pilots, engineers, doctors and more. Ayesha Al Khoori spoke to nine of these women about their jobs, their lives, why they signed up, the challenges they face in their careers and how they are determined to prove they can be on an equal footing to men.
Lt Col Dr Safaa Al Mohdar
Lt Col Dr Safaa Al Mohdar believes the first Emirati Women’s Day will shed light on the important work she does as a military doctor.
Dr Al Mohad, a consultant cardiologist at Zayed Military Hospital, said her role was to make sure inpatients were recovering well.
“As a military doctor, our usual routine is taking care of inpatients, doing daily rounds, then follow up with cardiac patients and their investigations ... We are also involved in outpatient clinics. We have some military obligations in covering internal and external mission,” she said.
She said she has had to overcome challenges throughout her career.
“Initially the absorption of the idea of a military doctor was not fully understood by everybody. However the continuous support of the leadership and sheikhs made this duty acceptable and also appreciated,” she said.
Celebrating the Emirati Women’s Day would be a “proud moment” in her life, she said.
“The recognition of this female role as a military personnel has shown the appreciation and will impress more people and shed more light on the military.”
Shaima Al Tenaiji
Captain of Judiciary Shaima Al Tenaiji, 30, is the first woman to work as a public prosecutor in the Armed Forces.
Her role is to investigate men and women in legal cases within the military.
“Of course, there is always a challenge but I felt like I had to challenge myself and had to be ambitious. My next step is to be a chief prosecutor,” she said.
Capt Al Tenaiji comes from a military family and chose this field after encouragement from her aunt.
“We learnt about discipline and weapons and the types of earth and how to research it. I used to be very scared but now I have more courage and I am more social,” she said.
Capt Al Tenaiji said a woman today is dependent and is able to be an employee, a wife and a mother.
“The UAE has allowed us to thrive with the leadership of Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak. It is important to glorify a woman, especially at a time like this where women serve their country in all fields,” she said.
“This is a challenge for a woman to be able to organise her time, set her priorities and have a balanced life between work and home.”
Cpl Nisreen Al Hinawi
ABU DHABI // Learning to become a sniper in the Armed Forces has been a journey of self-discovery for Corporal Nisreen Al Hinawi.
She originally volunteered without really knowing what she was letting herself in for and found the forces to be an “unknown world filled with systematic organisation and discipline”.
“But that was something I wanted to explore and I found it had reflected positively on my personality,” she said.
The training meant she soon began to better herself.
“I started to value my time more, by the minute and the second,” she said.
“I was never organised, never cared about discipline. I am now more aware and strong and I am able to deal with my day to day life with more control.”
She began as a member of the Presidential Guard and worked her way to becoming a professional sniper in 2012.
“I have entered courses that were originally just for men, but now my skills are as good as theirs,” she said.
Second Lt Hamda Al Mazrouei
Second Lieutenant Hamda Al Mazroeui knew she wanted to fly planes from an early age after the encouraging words of her father.
“My father always said, ‘Hamda will become a pilot’,” she said.
After she finished university, she saw an advert for the Khalifa bin Zayed Aviation Academy and her father encouraged her to sign up.
“My uncles were not happy at the time, but now they are very proud,” said Second Lt Al Mazroeui.
Her passion for large aircraft meant she is now a transport plane pilot in the military.
“It is not easy being in the Armed Forces as you must have high levels of concentration and preserve a good academic standing,” she said.
“But as soon as I placed a star on my shoulder, I forgot all the pain and tiredness. I was very proud of myself and what I had accomplished.”
She believed a day to celebrate Emirati women was critical at this time in the nation’s development.
“Especially with the political circumstances that we are going through and at this time, it’s important to view our power. I pray that we are able to continue serving this nation.”
Major Saba Al Jasmi
A passion for science led Major Saba Al Jasmi to become one of the few clinical pharmacists in the Armed Forces.
She grew up in a military family and signed up because of a “love and a desire to progress and of course encouragement from my family”, she said.
After joining the Armed Forces, she studied as a clinical pharmacist at the University of Jordan.
Her role now is to supervise her patient’s medication and intervention in case of any side effects or unwanted symptoms.
As a mother, Maj Al Jasmi said she found it a challenge to balance taking care of a household and her studies.
“The Armed Forces allowed me to take my children with me while I was studying in Jordan and that made it easier for me,” she said.
Maj Al Jasmi praised Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak for organising the celebration of the women in Armed Forces.
“I am very proud of the UAE women, they are supportive and go hand in hand with the men in serving the nations and supporting the country that has embraced them.”
Lt Col Fatma Rahma
When Lieutenant Colonel Fatma Rahma heard there would be a special day to celebrate women in the military she was delighted.
“It will be like a third Eid to us,” said Lt Col Rahma, who has been an engineer in the Armed Forces for 17 years.
After studying engineering in university, she became one of the first female engineers in the military.
“At first, colleagues found it strange that I was in such a field and wherever I went there were only men and no women around,” she said.
Such reactions made her consider leaving her job.
“I thought that I could not stay or build a career here, that it was against my culture and traditions,” she said.
“But my father was the only one who supported me ... he always urged me to continue.
“And then the leadership saw my effort and hard work, and that motivated me to give more and work harder.”
“This job is perfect for women, like they were born for it. Women in Armed Forced are very capable of giving back, sometimes even more than men,” she said.
Second Lt Pilot Wafa Al Awani
On a regular working day, Second Lt Pilot Wafa Al Awani, 24, flies over the country to deliver passengers and equipment.
Second Lt Al Awani’s first flight was “strange and emotional”.
“I got down from the plane and I was crying, not because I was scared or afraid or nervous, but because I saw the world for the first time ... That pushed me to pursue this career further,” she said.
However, Second Lt Pilot Al Awani overcame her surprise and worked her way to become a pilot.
The most crucial part of Second Lt Al Awani’s journey was transitioning from a civilian to a pilot.
“It’s tough, as a female and for me to get used to the courses and training and learning all about aviation.” she said.
However, the hours of training, along with support from her family, led her to where she is now.
The job allows her to serve her country while enjoying fulfilling her dream.
“This is an enjoyable job and I am serving my country ... I am happy that daughters of the UAE now have the chance to become pilots in the Armed Forces,” she said.
Cpl Amna Al Abdouli
Corporal Amna Al Abdouli’s job involves passing on her in-depth knowledge of weapons to the next generation of national service recruits.
“We train civilian recruits who don’t know about military life” says the 27-year-old.
She says it can be daunting for the young women when they fire a weapon for the first time.
“Some girls walk in excited or scared or just curious. We have to know what the recruits are feeling and thinking before training them,” she says.
“They must be excited and afraid to be able to learn better. The more they are afraid the more cautious they will be, they have to be disciplined when it comes to usage and time management.”
As for herself, her main challenge was convincing her family that the military was a suitable career for a woman.
Cpl Al Abdouli, however, is happy there will be a celebration of the women in armed forces.
Females serve in many capacities in the military, “but it is rare that people acknowledge their role”, she says.
Cadet Pilot Haya Al Reyami
To be able to soar above the clouds has always been what Cadet Pilot Haya Al Reyami was looking for in a career.
Cadet Pilot Al Reyami, 21, a student in Khalifa bin Zayed Aviation College, felt she could fit in the Armed Forces as both her parents had experience in it.
“The college has military training and aviation training and I went through many difficulties with them at first. It was not easy,” she says.
She says her journey has been “fun, exciting, and different”.
“It is something that people will be surprised by, yet proud of, which is also nice. Everyday is a new day and a new knowledge grasped,” she says.
As part of her training, Cadet Pilot Al Reyami is taken on a plane with her trainer who guides her.
“The first time I flew, I expected to be afraid. But I was very excited and it was this excitement that lead me to learn more. I wanted to know more about the aircraft and how it operates,” she says.
The cadet says the celebration will motivate her to reach for her dreams to make her leaders proud.
“Dedicating a day for women in this field motivates us and we are thankful for the leaders who gave women her place in society,” she says.
aalkhoori@thenational.ae
