Half of the seats in the legislature of the United Arab Emirates will be reserved for women.
Women will take up half of the seats on the UAE Federal National Council (FNC) next year. His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, instructed the authorities to double the participation rate of women from the current 22.5 percent.
The presidential directive aims to enable the UAE to become one of the best countries in the world in terms of the presence of women in parliament. The UAE is expected to reach the fourth position in the world for this indicator in the rating of the Parliamentary Union. In only two countries of the world, women make up 50 percent or more in parliament — Rwanda (61.3 percent) and Bolivia (53.1 percent).
This step reflects the country's approach to empowering women and emphasizes their role in all vital sectors of the UAE.
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and ruler of Dubai, noted that this decision is "a big step forward in strengthening the legislative and parliamentary role of women in the country's development."
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of the UAE, congratulated the citizen of the UAE: "This is another step in increasing the role and contribution of women to national decisions. She is a partner and supporter on the way to our "She has proven her worth in various positions, and we wish her great success."
