DUBAI // In the 26 years since Sheikha Lubna Al Qassimi took her first job, the role of women in the Emirates has changed almost beyond recognition.
In 1983, she became the first female engineer in the country when she started working with computers. Now Minister for Foreign Trade and the nation's first woman minister, Sheikha Lubna is proud of how the role of women has developed.
Speaking ahead of International Women's Day yesterday, Sheikha Lubna said: "Sometimes I envy - in a positive way - the young women of today. They have their way paved for them but that's because of women like myself.
"The community now thinks it's the norm. It's a natural progression in society though, not something that happened overnight.
"There are very few barriers in front of women here. They are respected. The challenges occur only in women's own minds, such as the problems of balancing a career and family," she said.
"Men are more willing to support their wives, daughters and so on but the main thing has been the leadership of the Government."
Her childhood experiences of growing up in the Emirates, as well as family influences, played a major part in her life, she said, as well as in her role as jury president and Asia judge of the Cartier Women's Initiative Awards.
She said her teachers had been a great influence but the confidence came from her parents. "My late father was very supportive of us girls and we were treated equally. I always believe that if there's direct support from the father, girls grow much better from a young age."
Going to a segregated school, she was surrounded by keen students. But in the subjects she loved - science and maths - she always ranked first or second. "When I got bored, I solved differential equations."
The Cartier awards - now in their third year - were "about being an example and being a role model, being active". It was part of the social responsibility of being a responsible citizen, she said.
Part of this feeling comes from her having been, in effect, a pioneer finding her way without the benefit of the experience of others.
"It was a brand new field and you didn't know if you were walking the right path. After that, I always felt responsible for young workers."
She added: "Any initiative that pushes women for a higher level of achievement is worthwhile. It's not about just receiving financial support but it's about boosting the confidence of these women."
The awards aim to identify and support businesses owned by women around the globe through funding and coaching.
The winners - one from each continent - receive prizes including coaching support and US$20,000 (Dh73,460) cash.
Last year there were 400 entries altogether and this year there has been great interest from both the region and the Emirates.
"There are so many talented young people here and I want to see more people from the Middle East becoming involved," said Sheikha Lubna. "I'm so pleased that this year there are so many more UAE entries."
Much of the change for women, she said, stemmed from increased access to education and the encouragement of national leaders.
"It's about trying to push things. It's not about pushing women's rights here because they already have them. The Government gave everything and it was left up to the women to decide what they wanted to do.
"Sheikh Zayed always said that education for women is a must. They don't have to work but education has always been a necessity, a passport to strength, power and freedom."
Last year's Asia finalists' projects included a food manufacturing start-up that promotes healthy Filipino foods and to accountancy services for start-up companies.
mswan@thenational.ae
$1,000 award for 1,000 days on madrasa portal
Daily cash awards of $1,000 dollars will sweeten the Madrasa e-learning project by tempting more pupils to an education portal to deepen their understanding of math and sciences.
School children are required to watch an educational video each day and answer a question related to it. They then enter into a raffle draw for the $1,000 prize.
“We are targeting everyone who wants to learn. This will be $1,000 for 1,000 days so there will be a winner every day for 1,000 days,” said Sara Al Nuaimi, project manager of the Madrasa e-learning platform that was launched on Tuesday by the Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, to reach Arab pupils from kindergarten to grade 12 with educational videos.
“The objective of the Madrasa is to become the number one reference for all Arab students in the world. The 5,000 videos we have online is just the beginning, we have big ambitions. Today in the Arab world there are 50 million students. We want to reach everyone who is willing to learn.”
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
The specs
Engine: 2-litre 4-cylinder and 3.6-litre 6-cylinder
Power: 220 and 280 horsepower
Torque: 350 and 360Nm
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Price: from Dh136,521 VAT and Dh166,464 VAT
On sale: now
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
About RuPay
A homegrown card payment scheme launched by the National Payments Corporation of India and backed by the Reserve Bank of India, the country’s central bank
RuPay process payments between banks and merchants for purchases made with credit or debit cards
It has grown rapidly in India and competes with global payment network firms like MasterCard and Visa.
In India, it can be used at ATMs, for online payments and variations of the card can be used to pay for bus, metro charges, road toll payments
The name blends two words rupee and payment
Some advantages of the network include lower processing fees and transaction costs
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if you go
The flights
Emirates offer flights to Buenos Aires from Dubai, via Rio De Janeiro from around Dh6,300. emirates.com
Seeing the games
Tangol sell experiences across South America and generally have good access to tickets for most of the big teams in Buenos Aires: Boca Juniors, River Plate, and Independiente. Prices from Dh550 and include pick up and drop off from your hotel in the city. tangol.com
Staying there
Tangol will pick up tourists from any hotel in Buenos Aires, but after the intensity of the game, the Faena makes for tranquil, upmarket accommodation. Doubles from Dh1,110. faena.com
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
The biog
DOB: 25/12/92
Marital status: Single
Education: Post-graduate diploma in UAE Diplomacy and External Affairs at the Emirates Diplomatic Academy in Abu Dhabi
Hobbies: I love fencing, I used to fence at the MK Fencing Academy but I want to start again. I also love reading and writing
Lifelong goal: My dream is to be a state minister
SPECS
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