It is very easy to overlook all the positive stories around us amongst all the turmoil in the Middle East. The UAE is an Arab nation that is only a generation old and is working very hard for the women of the nation. Their main aim and objective is to see that every girl child has the equal opportunity to receive education and also that all women and girls are protected from the malicious ideas and movements that are propagated by extremists. The UAE is striving for women paving a path for them to play freely and play a leading role in the political and in the public life.

Women’s rights have improved tremendously in the past years, although it did start on a very low bar. This growing momentum must be acknowledged and must be supported throughout the Middle East. The cost of failure will be severe, but the power to resist and oppress the powerful forces in the region must be greater in order to witness the tremendous change to seek the pushback against women’s rights.

Women and girls especially are a critical pillar for the growth and the development of the UAE as a nation as a whole. It is crucial to the growth of the economy to realize the participation of women in the labor force increasing with equal opportunity and pay to men. This is the reason why the UAE had passed a law earlier this year stating that the women and men are ensured the same equal pay for equal work and contributions.

By having put women to the heart of assistance in the rural and few backward areas, pockets of prosperous communities have been seen developed in such places. The education assistance policy is strictly monitored by the UAE and is seen as a sensitive subject matter to gender barriers. The UAE has also taken great effort and a stance to a girl’s right for education.

The empowerment of women should not be seen as much of a cosmetic development only; especially in a region where young people are most likely vulnerable to the forces of globalization and extremism. Prosperity can only be achieved when men and women contribute to the positive development as a whole as equal partners. Women have a huge impact on the youth of the nation. And when the young generation witnesses this impact in first hand, especially the tangible and positive contributions, they too will be motivated to embrace this in full conviction.