UAE makes work-life balance for women easy

Inayat-ur-Rahman, Senior Staff Reporter

DUBAI: The UAE is leading the way on a number of regional and global indices on gender equality and women’s achievements, education and literacy, women’s employment, and respect for them is celebrated in the country, said experts gathered in Dubai to discuss how they are striking the balance between work and home.

On Mother’s Day, at an event organised by Hubun, a first-of-a-kind ride-hailing service dedicated to women and kids in Dubai, leading working women from different sectors hailed the UAE Constitution, which guarantees equal rights for women and men.

“The Middle East and the UAE, in particular, is full of success stories of women shattering the glass ceiling and achieving success in the corporate sector. They have done this with grace while achieving a fine balance between work and home,” said Uma Ghosh, the host of the Uma Show and wellness advocate.

“About 22.5 per cent of the members of the Federal National Council are females. The current UAE cabinet includes 9 women ministers, representing 27 per cent of cabinet members. Women now make up 15 per cent of the workforce in the public sector. Their number is increasing in the private sector too,” she added.

Helen Al Uzaizi, CEO of Bizworld UAE, said, “Thanks to the women-friendly laws and policies, women stand as active partners andcontributors in the country’s development process and play a vital role in raising future generations. The workplaces in the UAE are safer than in other parts of the world.

“An empowered woman is the one who knows her powers and isn’t afraid to hold on to them. By being aware of her potential and being willing to work towards her goals with a sense of purpose while being true to herself is the power of a true woman,” said Jumana Abu-Hannoud,

Managing Director of SOS Children’s Villages International.] Mumzworld CEO Mona Ataya said, “A working woman not only performs the role of a leader or an employee at her workplace but also has other varied roles that need to be taken care of outside the office.

Maintaining a healthy work-life balance becomes the most crucial role for any professional woman.”

“Multitasking at all times and juggling responsibilities, be it at work or at home, is quite a task to handle. It is never easy to maintain a balance between a burgeoning career and a delightful family life. But it can be achieved with a bit of planning and organisation,” she added. Each second of the day needs to be utilised for the maximum output. For example, people spend most of their time travelling to and from offices. “Hailing a reliable and safe transportation service may give working women additional time, which could be used for relaxing with their children or finishing the pending office work,” said Helen Al Uzaizi, CEO of Bizworld UAE.

The event was organised by Hubun, a unique ride share service dedicated to women and kids living in Dubai, and was open for all women.

“Hubun helps parents/families balance the load by taking care of their kid’s transportation needs. Hubun’s services are for children and women only,” said Siva Shankar Ganesan, Founder & CEO, Hubun Transport.

All Hubun cars are driven by women drivers.

“Women are at the core of our proposition and we believe this service will help them chase their dreams and aspirations without having to give up or temper down their career. Hubun is about building a brand that you can trust your kids with, that is safe and provides you peace of mind. Internally, more than 65 per cent of our employees are women today and provides an opportunity to women drivers achieve financial independence,” said Siva.

After the 2015 elections of Federal National Council, 20 new members were appointed out of which 8 were women. That year, the FNC got its first woman speaker – Dr Amal Abdullah Al Qubaisi. This was the first time for a woman to hold this position not only in the UAE but also in the GCC.

In fact, Dr Al Qubaisi was the first woman to be elected to the FNC.

The UAE established the Gender Balance Council to enhance the work environment by giving women equal opportunities in the public sector. Towards that end, the UAE launched the Gender Inequality Index for Government sector. The council would enact a framework to consolidate the efforts of various government entities. It aims to boost the country’s efforts to evolve and enhance women’s role as key partners in building the future of the nation.

The UAE adopted provisions to protect women’s social and financial welfare.