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Sunday, April 15, 2007

Enough women rights!



You can hardly read a local newspaper without finding a couple of articles concerning women employment and women rights! and emirates today wasn't an exception !

I was reading emirates today the other day and there was an article talking about new statistics showing that 90% of young UAE women are willing to get a job after they qualify. The article was suggesting that it’s a new trend among female nationals, which is, in a way, worth celebrating. That was not the first of course, and won't be the last, I'm sure. We always read and hear media trying to praise emarati women if they decide to join work forces or if they've been appointed to head a big establishment. i know in some Middle East and third world countries, this might be a huge change that is worth mentioning where women used to be banned from working and still are in some societies. However, I personally think this does not apply to UAE. I feel the media, by giving all this attention to this matter, is indirectly sending false messages to people from outside the country suggesting that women were deprived from this opportunity in the past. It also gives the impression that such a change was only brought by a western influence during the 21st century. While, in reality, as far as our ancestors could remember, women have always been working in different jobs and businesses, women had careers and owned businesses and farms in the old Emiraty society. They have always been playing a vital financial role in addition to the other roles played by females in any society. They weren't only working as tailors, bakers teachers from their homes, but also working in farms, shops and even as traditional doctors. In the past, some women owned big businesses, others owned fishing ships and some of them were richer than most men at that time. In addition to their rights to work, women in UAE also had the right to learn. They had female "mutawaa" or a teacher who used to teach them how to read Quran, just like men .
in my opinion, the difference came about mainly after the discovery of oil. Men started joining petroleum companies where jobs where too difficult for women to take. It also involved traveling far from cities and villages to stay months if not years away from their families. so the difference in career choice taken by men and women was mainly due to differences in physical abilities.
however, these days in order for you to be modern, to fulfill the 21st century criteria and to become a certified 21st century society you have to give women any rights they think of, or at least pretend to do so!.
Ciao Ladies and Gentlemen ! ( how come we r always mentioned second ! aren't we equal ! lol )