Emirati women will represent 50% of the seats in the Federal National Council (FNC) from next years parliamentary term, under new directives issued by His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE. Currently of the 40 seats, 8 are held by women.
The step reflects the country's future approach aimed at achieving full empowerment of Emirati women and emphasises their pioneering and effective role in all vital sectors of the UAE.
The directives of the President include doubling the current percentage of women's representation in the Federal National Council from 22.5 per cent to 50 per cent in the coming parliamentary term, and aims to rank the UAE in the top positions worldwide in terms of representation of women in parliament. This will enable the UAE women achieves, in a record time, what has been achieved by their counterparts globally in decades.
The directive was further supported by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minster of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, who in a message on his official Twitter said " The Presidential decree allocating 50% of the seats in the Federal National Council to women is a great leap forwards in cementing the legislative and parliamentary role of women in our nation's development."