Abu Dhabi: Despite Emirati women still having to do the lion’s share of housework they have proved themselves to be top achievers in the workplace.
“Not only do women work hard, they work harder than men. They are more committed and ambitious even if they are married and have children,” Saba Al Tukmachy, manager of career and competency development at Emirates National Oil Company (Enoc), told Gulf News.
Around 42 young Emiratis, including 16 women, who graduated from the fourth cycle of Enoc’s UAE National Development Programme (NDP), were honoured during a ceremony on Tuesday. The programme was established in 2010 to provide Emiratis with specialist training on leadership and management and to strengthen their involvement in the workforce.
The programme has five proficiency levels, Tatweer, Tadreeb, Ajyaal, Mawaheb and Imtiaz, which focus on developing professional, managerial and leadership skills.
Although she is married and looks after her three children, Lana Sulaiman, 35, reached the Ajyaal level.
“I worked as an auditor for about three years. Being a mother and a wife did not stop me from increasing my qualifications. I enrolled in the Ajyaal programme for two years. I have learned how to manage my time and prioritise my tasks,” Lana said.
Women do not have to fight anymore for gender equality, top achievers of the programme, told Gulf News.
Khowla Ahli, 26, was one of the programme’s top achievers due to her excellent performance, active participation and regular attendance.
“Women have unique intellectual talents, which can provide them with more opportunities and qualify them to be future leaders,” she said.
“The one-year programme taught me how to lead and work in a team. I worked as an engineer for almost one year. My work is purely technical. After enrolling in the national development programme in 2013, my work became much more interesting. I learned how to lead a team, solve problems and think critically,” she said.
“Learning such skills will add a lot to my CV and develop my career path,” she added.
Zayed University has participated in implementing the NDP by providing vocational training.
