As the world marks International Women’s Day today, it is sobering to consider that, according to UN Women, only 13 countries have women leading 50 per cent or more of Cabinet ministries. At this rate, the organisation says, gender equality in political representation will not be reached for another 130 years.
Perhaps the most frustrating aspect of this situation is that the involvement of women in politics and governance brings such demonstrable benefits for societies as a whole. A report by published last year by Women Political Leaders and the consultancy Oliver Wyman found that female representatives “work harder to represent their constituencies and play an important role in counteracting corruption”. Their research also found that women prioritise policy “that benefits the most vulnerable in society through healthcare, welfare and education. More women leaders seem to make for more equal and caring societies”.
Although the gender gap in female political leadership is a global phenomenon, the situation is particularly stark in the Middle East. According to data produced last year by Brigham Young University in the US, the percentage of women in government in some Middle Eastern countries was as low as 21 per cent in Egypt, 14 per cent in Jordan and 6.3 per cent in Lebanon. Only the UAE stands out in the region for meeting the 50 per cent mark, with nine female cabinet ministers and women comprising two thirds of the public sector workforce. Amid this inclusion in decision making, Emirati women have carved out consequential roles in politics, business, diplomacy and other fields.
The evidence shows that institutionalising a culture of recognising and utilising female talent through mechanisms such as quotas helps a great deal. The leading three countries for women in government in the region – Tunisia, Iraq and the UAE – all use them.
But representation is not an end in itself. This year’s International Women’s Day is themed around economic empowerment. Women’s full participation in the economy is an important part of developing prosperous and stable societies.
The World Bank has said that per capita gross domestic product would be almost 20 per cent higher if all gender employment gaps were to be closed. Writing in The National today, the International Monetary Fund’s Director for the Middle East and Central Asia, Jihad Azour, makes it clear that “embracing gender equality in economic activities is not only a choice – it is essential for prosperity in a highly competitive world fraught with challenges and shocks”.
But to help make sure that women are economically empowered, countries must have legislation and regulations to help make this happen. To develop such a legal framework, it is vital that women are there when political decisions are being made. In a world where many multinational organisations, from Nato to the Arab League, remain dominated by men, this requirement makes efforts to improve women’s participation in countries’ political processes more vital than ever.
The%20Sandman
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Dengue%20fever%20symptoms
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The Book of Collateral Damage
Sinan Antoon
(Yale University Press)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
Zakat definitions
Zakat: an Arabic word meaning ‘to cleanse’ or ‘purification’.
Nisab: the minimum amount that a Muslim must have before being obliged to pay zakat. Traditionally, the nisab threshold was 87.48 grams of gold, or 612.36 grams of silver. The monetary value of the nisab therefore varies by current prices and currencies.
Zakat Al Mal: the ‘cleansing’ of wealth, as one of the five pillars of Islam; a spiritual duty for all Muslims meeting the ‘nisab’ wealth criteria in a lunar year, to pay 2.5 per cent of their wealth in alms to the deserving and needy.
Zakat Al Fitr: a donation to charity given during Ramadan, before Eid Al Fitr, in the form of food. Every adult Muslim who possesses food in excess of the needs of themselves and their family must pay two qadahs (an old measure just over 2 kilograms) of flour, wheat, barley or rice from each person in a household, as a minimum.
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
SPECS
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Representing%20UAE%20overseas
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Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The years Ramadan fell in May
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Hurricanes 31-31 Lions
Wellington Hurricanes:
Tries: Gibbins, Laumape, Goosen, Fifita tries, Barrett
Conversions: Barrett (4)
Penalties: Barrett
British & Irish Lions:
Tries: Seymour (2), North
Conversions: Biggar (2)
Penalties: Biggar (4)
Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion
The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".
The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.
He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.
"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.
As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.
Which honey takes your fancy?
Al Ghaf Honey
The Al Ghaf tree is a local desert tree which bears the harsh summers with drought and high temperatures. From the rich flowers, bees that pollinate this tree can produce delicious red colour honey in June and July each year
Sidr Honey
The Sidr tree is an evergreen tree with long and strong forked branches. The blossom from this tree is called Yabyab, which provides rich food for bees to produce honey in October and November. This honey is the most expensive, but tastiest
Samar Honey
The Samar tree trunk, leaves and blossom contains Barm which is the secret of healing. You can enjoy the best types of honey from this tree every year in May and June. It is an historical witness to the life of the Emirati nation which represents the harsh desert and mountain environments
