The UAE’s banking sector is one of the many where women are underrepresented in leadership positions. Only 12 per cent of the 8,000 Emirati women in banking have senior management roles. This is the case despite the high representation of Emirati women in the sector. As the chairman of the UAE Banks Federation, Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair, wrote in The National yesterday, 72 per cent of all the UAE nationals in the banking workforce are women. But they don’t seem to get very far up the ladder. Why?
There is no single answer, as Mr Al Ghurair points out. Women face many challenges when they join the workforce. Some of these could be cultural, such as a gender bias that is both historical and deep. It is the reason that despite all the sterling work done by women – the inventions, discoveries, entrepreneurship – misconceptions persist about their capabilities.
Sometimes, of course, women don’t get to the top because they don’t stay long enough to be promoted. Many women leave their jobs once they have children. As in other parts of the world, juggling work and family is probably the biggest challenge facing working women here in the UAE. But there is a need to support them and retain them within the workforce.
As we have argued before, a range of measures is needed. First and foremost, women must have adequate maternity leave and it should be in line with the average in the developed world. UAE labour law allows just 45 days of paid leave for new mothers in the private sector and 60 days for those with government jobs. This is certainly not long enough for women to adjust to their new circumstances, bond with the baby and return to work relatively untroubled. In Sweden, for example, mothers receive just over three quarters of their previous salary for up to 13 months after giving birth.
The workplace could also be more flexible. Some local banks have already made progress in this area, offering alternatives such as job sharing, part-time work or reduced hours, if needed. Workplace nurseries also help because women often feel better when they can look in on the baby during the work day. On their own, none of these measures would be particularly effective but taken together, they would help stem the female exodus from the workforce.
TOURNAMENT INFO
2018 ICC World Twenty20 Asian Western Regional Qualifier
The top three teams progress to the Asia Qualifier
Thursday results
UAE beat Kuwait by 86 runs
Qatar beat Bahrain by five wickets
Saudi Arabia beat Maldives by 35 runs
Friday fixtures
10am, third-place playoff – Saudi Arabia v Kuwait
3pm, final – UAE v Qatar
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Xpanceo
Started: 2018
Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality
Funding: $40 million
Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
War
Director: Siddharth Anand
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Tiger Shroff, Ashutosh Rana, Vaani Kapoor
Rating: Two out of five stars
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
FIGHT%20CARD
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A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
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The End of Loneliness
Benedict Wells
Translated from the German by Charlotte Collins
Sceptre
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
Ramy%3A%20Season%203%2C%20Episode%201
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
