The registration period for the candidates of the Federal National Council (FNC) ended on Thursday through registration centres across all emirates receiving 98 applications on the fifth and last day, including 40 applications for women and 58 for men, bringing the total number of applications to 555, including 200 applications for women and 355 for men.

The number of applications for the fifth and final day was distributed by 27 applications in Abu Dhabi, including 14 for men and 13 for women, 26 in Dubai, including 14 for men and 12 for females, 18 in Sharjah, including 10 for men and 8 for women, 6 in Ajman, including 5 for men and one for a woman, 14 in Ras Al Khaimah, including 10 for men and 4 for women, and 7 in Fujairah, including 5 for men and 2 for women, while the emirate of Umm Al Quwain received zero applications.

According to the timetable of the FNC elections 2019, the National Election Commission will announce the preliminary list of candidates on Sunday (August 25), and will receive objections to candidates on 26, 27 and 28 of this month. The Commission will reply to the applications of objection on the first of September, and the final list of candidates will be announced on September 3.

Emirati women will scale the peak of their empowerment journey during the FNC Elections 2019 to be held next October, by achieving 50 percent representation in parliament.

This is in line with the implementation of Resolution No. 01 of 2019 issued by President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan on raising the representation of women in the FNC to 50 percent. In the following report, the Emirates News Agency, WAM, monitors the main milestones in the empowerment of Emirati women in the parliamentary field.

The Women’s Empowerment programme launched by President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa in 2005 represented a significant milestone in the history of Emirati women, and in 2006, Emirati women participated in the first FNC elections as voters and candidates.