The road to women empowerment in the UAE

1970 — Dr Shaikha Al Maskari becomes first female petroleum engineer in the GCC and first to work in the UAE oil fields. 1975 — The General Women’s Union is established 1977 — First batch of 17 women joins the Dubai Police 1983 — Dr Hessa Abdullah Lootah becomes first female TV director 1990 — Khawla bint Al Azwar Military School for Women is founded 1996 — The UAE ratifies the International Equal Remuneration Convention 2003 — A federal decree establishes the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood 2004 — Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi becomes the first female minister 2006 — Dubai Women’s Establishment (DWE) is formed 2006 — Dr Amal Al Qubaisi becomes the first female FNC member 2007 — Pink Taxis, driven by women for women, is launched 2008 — Khulood Al Dhaheri becomes the first female Judge 2008 — Fatima Saeed Obeidi Al Awani is appointed (only second in Arab World) as marriage contract officer ‘Mazoun’ 2008 — Dr Hissa Al Otaiba and Sheikha Najla Al Qasimi become the UAE’s first female ambassadors 2013 — Lana Nusseibeh becomes the first Emirati female ambassador to the UN 2014 — Major Mariam Al Mansouri becomes the first female Emirati fighter pilot 2014 — Hana Kazim becomes the first Emirati to graduate from the prestigious American Film Institute 2014 — UAE ranks number one in the world for treating women with respect 2015 — Dr Amal Al Qubaisi is elected as the first female speaker of the Federal National Council (FNC) 2015 — Reem Al Marzouqi becomes the first Emirati to be granted a patent in the US for designing a car that can be driven without using hands 2015 — Hind Abdulaziz Alowais becomes the first Emirati woman to be posted at the UN Headquarters in New York 2016 — Eight women are named as UAE cabinet members 2016 — Ohood bint Khalfan Al Roumi becomes the first happiness minister in the world 2016 — Sara Al Senaani becomes the first woman to win a Paralympics medal 2016 — Horiya Al Dhahiri becomes the first woman from the Gulf to get professional A coaching Licence from Asian Football Confederation