Emirati women in Parliament: Confident steps towards empowerment

The declaration by President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan on the "empowerment programme" in 2005 represented the start of the participation of Emirati women in the Federal National Council, FNC, or the "Parliament."

Emirati women have greatly benefited from this declaration, and 24 women have obtained membership to the FNC for three of its legislative chapters, with three women managing to obtain their membership through the ballot box and direct elections. Dr. Amal Abdullah Al Qubaisi was elected for the 14th legislative chapter, Dr. Aisha Al Arry for the 15th legislative chapter, and Naema Abdullah Saeed Al Sharhan won her membership to the FNC for the current 16th legislative chapter.

The success of Emirati women was crowned by the appointment of Dr. Amal Al Qubaisi as the Deputy- Speaker of the FNC, before being appointed as the Speaker of the current 16th legislative chapter, in an unprecedented step at an Arab and regional level.

The recent ministerial formation also included the appointment of Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi as the Minister of State for Federal National Council Affairs.

President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan had declared the start of the participation of women in the FNC as voters and members.

On this occasion, President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed said, "We are confident that women will promote the nation’s achievements after entering the FNC through their contributions, especially in areas related to women and the nation’s social structure."

The FNC’s 14th legislative chapter in 2006 was the first that involved Emirati women in the Parliament, who managed to occupy nine out of 40 seats, with Dr. Al Qubaisi achieving the first victory for UAE women in elections.

At the opening speech of the 14th legislative chapter, President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa said, "Your Council today is distinguished by the strong presence of women, which reflects our unlimited confidence in their capacities, and role and efficient contributions to the process of national action, leading to wider horizons and the efficient practice of legislative and executive work."

The success of Emirati women continued in the 15th and 16th legislative chapters in 2011 and 2016. The 15th chapter saw the appointed of six women from various emirates, and Dr. Al Arry was the second Emirati woman to win the elections.

The 16th legislative chapter also saw the appointment of seven women from various emirates, and Al Sharhan was the third Emirati woman to win the elections.

Emirati women have chaired many permanent and temporary committees in the FNC. They have also effectively participated in regional and international parliamentary meetings, and occupied many positions in the main bodies of Arab, Islamic and international parliamentary federations.

Al Sharhan was elected to chair the Women and Childhood Affairs Committee at the Arab Parliamentary Federation during its 24th conference, which was held in Rabat, Morocco on 20th and 21st March, 2017.

Aisha Salim Ahmed bin Samnuh was selected to chair a sub-committee to research the issue of refugees in wars and conflicts, especially women and children, and to plan a series of visits and create a mechanism to support them, during the Arab Parliament meetings held in Cairo this year.

The first international participation of the FNC’s women members was in April 2007, during a meeting of women parliamentarians in Bali, as part of the 116th General Assembly and the 180th session of the Governing Council of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, IPU.