Approximately 2.4 billion women of working-age women are not afforded the same rights and entitlements as men regarding economic opportunities. Disadvantages such as job restrictions and a lack of equal pay policies in multiple countries are symptomatic of women’s unequal, detrimental treatment compared to their male counterparts worldwide.
Fortunately, the UAE is committed to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women. Several projects and initiatives have been put in place – such as the ADGM Gender Equality Initiative, the UAE Gender Balance Council and several legislative amendments such as equal pay, increased family-friendly rights, and the prohibition on discrimination and harassment – to promote women’s equal opportunities, empowering women to achieve their goals and live fulfilled lives.
Embracing Equity
The private sector is taking strides to follow in the footsteps of the public sector government as they have great potential to create positive change in the communities they operate in.
Evolvin’ Women is a social organization at the forefront of this mission, striving to enfranchise women and advance the UAE’s vital gender equality agenda in the hospitality industry.
To do this, Evolvin’ Women identifies underserved women in Africa who do not have access to jobs and learning opportunities from disadvantaged circumstances. The organization then connects these women to job opportunities in the UAE’s private sector.
Upon arrival to the UAE, the women are privileged to join renowned hotels, retail companies and logistic chains, including DHL, IHG, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Marriott, and Accor, to learn vital professional skills and optimize their potential. These skills will last a lifetime, ensuring women retain their value in the workplace and continue to make meaningful contributions to national economies and society as a whole.
As an African female professional woman based in the UAE, I am proud to be a part of the advisory board at Evolvin’ Women and support their mission of paving gender equity in the UAE’s private sector.
It has been a pleasure to see young women who have overcome challenging circumstances and become a part of the UAE’s workforce to evolve into talented career-oriented professionals who can support themselves and their families back home.
Mitigating Challenges
A pertinent issue these women often face while securing job placements with our partner organizations is that they do not have the legal knowledge to understand the clauses and the basic terms and conditions of their employability contracts.
This ambiguity can cause anxiety and uncertainty, often leading to some women not signing the contracts and missing out on life-changing opportunities.
To mitigate this, I have leveraged my expertise in UAE’s Labour Law and created a webinar that teaches women how to decipher legal contracts before arriving in the UAE. This equips them to understand rights and terms and conditions before signing the contract. As a result, we have seen an increasing number of women now cognizant of their working rights and the expectations before arrival in the UAE.
Advancing CSR Opportunities
Alongside advancing underprivileged women’s professional growth, Evolvin’ Women also embeds corporate social responsibility (CSR) into the UAE’s private sector.
Giving women from Evolvin’ Women job placements enables hotels and private companies to not only improve the productivity of their workforce but also to contribute to a broad range of the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), such as SDG #4 (quality education), SDG #5 (gender equality) and SDG #8 (decent work and economic growth).
These partnerships are a testament to the success we can all achieve as a society if the private sector joins hands to facilitate resources and uplift the women around us.
Continued support for such initiatives will help to ensure that the core value of gender equity is woven into the DNA of all professional opportunities.
An inclusive future
At Evolvin’ Women, we aim to bring about many more positive changes that improve the life chances of women facing barriers. The theme of International Women’s Day 2023 is ‘Embracing Equity’, which means supporting diversity and inclusion in all walks of life. To become more inclusive, we must equip women from every background with the skillsets they need to thrive.
While there is still a long way to go before true equity is realised, I am thrilled to be part of Evolvin’ Women to help expedite this journey.