It was the UAE’s Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who set out a vision to ensure the skills, talents and ambitions of women are nurtured and his words continue to inspire us today: “The woman is half of the society; any country which pursues development should not leave her in poverty or illiteracy.

The Nation has made great strides in ensuring women realize their potential, and continues to make progress against the goal of becoming one of the top 25 countries for gender equality by 2021. Today women constitute 47 percent of the UAE’s labor force with female participation in nearly every economic sector.