Women in the UAE no longer require their husband's consent to undergo emergency abortions.
New legislation allows women to terminate their pregnancy after receiving the results of their medical report if it states that their own life, or that of their unborn child, is at risk.
The procedure will only be granted after the woman has given her consent, or if her consent is not possible, her husband or guardian.
The law, which was approved by the government in October, did not clarify if limits were in place to when an abortion can take place.
Previously, the legislation stated that in cases where the baby would be born with life-threatening conditions, abortions were only granted if the foetus was less than 120 days old.
The law in Abu Dhabi, as well as the UAE, in comparison to the rest of the GCC, is by far the most supportive for women
Byron James,
partner and head of Dubai firm Expatriate Law
Abortion is only permitted in the UAE if the pregnancy puts the mother's life at risk, or if the baby suffers from life-threatening abnormalities that would prevent it from living a fulfilling life.
The new legislation comes as part of a succession of local and federal laws that are aimed at supporting women's rights across the country.
Other reforms include decriminalising surrogacy, as well as allowing unmarried women to undergo IVF treatment.
Corniche Hospital, Abu Dhabi's main maternity hospital, which delivers about 7,500 babies a year, performs around five or six terminations a week.
Until a few years ago, it was the only hospital in the emirate permitted to perform the procedure.
Now, the new law permits private licensed facilities to perform abortions.
Supportive of women's rights
Dr Paul Bosio, chief medical officer at Corniche Hospital, said he has seen both ends of the spectrum of abortion services.
He had previously worked in Ireland when abortions were illegal, as well as the UK where abortions have been available since 1967.
“I've seen the two extremes and to be where we are [in the UAE] with these new changes, it is ideal,” he told The National.
“The provision of abortion services can be a very controversial area in many parts of the world and in different cultures. But as a gynaecologist who has advocated for both women's rights and health, I personally feel that our law here is perfect.”
Dr Bosio noted that while the new law protects mothers who have serious conditions, it also offers a humane approach towards babies who have life-threatening conditions.
“This is why I do have a lot of admiration for the law here.”
Dr Sonalica Suresh, a specialist in obstetrics and gynaecology at NMC Speciality hospital, Al Nahda, in Dubai, welcomed the decision.
"I feel this is a progressive step which recognises and implement the reproductive rights of women," she said.
"It gives women the autonomy over their life and the life of the unborn child."
Byron James, partner and head of Dubai firm Expatriate Law, said the new law gives women autonomy over their bodies and their unborn child.
“The law in Abu Dhabi, as well as the UAE, in comparison to the rest of the GCC, is by far the most supportive for women. I have so much respect for it in every regard,” he said.
He said the new changes in legislation in family law have been positive.
“In the Abu Dhabi Civil Family Court, you can now have spousal maintenance for longer than just three months unlike most Sharia-led countries. You also now have the ability to ask for capital orders [such as lump sum payments], which is not just unusual in the GCC but unique.”
Mr James highlighted the broader effect of the reforms, including legislation regarding visas.
“You can sponsor a child without needing a father to give you permission to do so. You can be a woman raising a child in the UAE without needing anyone else's permission or consent.
“That also applies to putting children in school or getting medical treatment.”
Mr James said that women thinking about moving to the GCC would be best protected in the UAE.
“There is only one country where you would feel that your rights would be best protected and that is the UAE, and in particular, Abu Dhabi.
“I think what the UAE is doing is to balance the progressive, while also not undermining the morals and integrity that the UAE was founded upon.”
Abortion rights around the world
Abortion is prohibited in 24 countries, including Andorra, Poland, the Dominican Republic, Egypt, El Salvador, Jamaica, Iraq, Malta, the Philippines and Sierra Leone.
According to the World Health Organisation, when people face barriers to obtaining safe abortions, they often resort to unsafe procedures, and they are more common in countries with restrictive laws.
Other countries, such as Mexico, Argentina, Colombia and Ireland, have relaxed their abortion restrictions. In 2018, Ireland voted to remove an abortion ban from its constitution, and the procedure is now permitted up to the 12th week of pregnancy, when the health or life of a mother is at risk, or when the foetus has a congenital defect.
Laws around abortion in Europe, Canada and Australia have few restrictions other than gestational limits. France has a gestational limit of 16 weeks, Spain's limit is 14 weeks and Italy's is 60 days.
In South Africa and Mozambique, abortion is permitted but limited to the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.
In June 2022, the US Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to an abortion, reversing Roe v Wade, which was upheld for about half a century.
The decision meant that abortion is completely banned in 14 states, while two – Georgia and South Carolina – have banned abortion past about six weeks of pregnancy.
Other states have enacted laws or held ballot referendums to protect abortion rights.
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5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m
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The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
How to join and use Abu Dhabi’s public libraries
• There are six libraries in Abu Dhabi emirate run by the Department of Culture and Tourism, including one in Al Ain and Al Dhafra.
• Libraries are free to visit and visitors can consult books, use online resources and study there. Most are open from 8am to 8pm on weekdays, closed on Fridays and have variable hours on Saturdays, except for Qasr Al Watan which is open from 10am to 8pm every day.
• In order to borrow books, visitors must join the service by providing a passport photograph, Emirates ID and a refundable deposit of Dh400. Members can borrow five books for three weeks, all of which are renewable up to two times online.
• If users do not wish to pay the fee, they can still use the library’s electronic resources for free by simply registering on the website. Once registered, a username and password is provided, allowing remote access.
• For more information visit the library network's website.
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What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
Company profile
Name: Thndr
Started: October 2020
Founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: pre-seed of $800,000
Funding stage: series A; $20 million
Investors: Tiger Global, Beco Capital, Prosus Ventures, Y Combinator, Global Ventures, Abdul Latif Jameel, Endure Capital, 4DX Ventures, Plus VC, Rabacap and MSA Capital
Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
The fake news generation
288,000 – the number of posts reported as hate speech that were deleted by Facebook globally each month in May and June this year
11% – the number of Americans who said they trusted the news they read on Snapchat as of June 2017, according to Statista. Over a quarter stated that they ‘rarely trusted’ the news they read on social media in general
31% - the number of young people in the US aged between 10 and 18 who said they had shared a news story online in the last six months that they later found out was wrong or inaccurate
63% - percentage of Arab nationals who said they get their news from social media every single day.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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