Noura al-Kaabi: UAE women enjoy great opportunities

The International Business Women Group (IBWG), in cooperation with the Australian, the British, the Canadian and the French Business Groups, recently hosted the International Women's Day Luncheon at Beach Rotana Hotel to celebrate women's achievements. "Today U.A.E. women achieved great milestones which were considered taboo in the recent past," said Noura Al Kaabi, CEO of the Abu Dhabi media zone authority, in her address at the event, which was attended by business delegates from embassies, government organizations and industry officials in the U.A.E. Sara Shuhail, Executive Director of Ewa's Shelters, made the opening speech at the event, highlighting the leading role of U.A.E. Women and their participation in the social and economic development. "Thanks to the continuous support of the U.A.E. government and wise leadership, women in the U.A.E. today enjoy opportunities which were exceptions in the recent past," Al-Kaabi said. "This support enabled female employees in the public sector to exceed 60 per cent although the average world ratio is around 48 per cent." She also added that women in senior positions in the public sector exceeded 30 per cent, close to the level in advanced countries, where it is around 31 per cent in the US, 37 per cent in Australia, and 35 per cent in Britain. "Our ambition is to achieve a target of 40 per cent in the media sector by 2030...women in the UAE have also exceeded 62 per cent of the total Emirati workforce in the medical sector while they recorded the highest level of female university graduates as they account for nearly 70 per cent of the total graduates." The Women's Day Luncheon was the third event organised by International Business Women's Group with the cooperation of the British French, Canadian and Australian Business Groups to mark and celebrate Women's International Day.