United Arab Emirates is not particularly celebrated or associated with women empowerment or emancipation. In the World Economic Forum's annual Global Gender Report, the UAE ranked at a mediocre 72 out of 153 countries in 2021, nevertheless rising from its last held ranking of 120.
However, as an Emirati woman, Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi is consistently contributing to the shattered glass ceilings in the region. Alongside putting the region on map of women empowerment. It started in 2004 when she was, over a phone call, offered the position of a minister in the Cabinet. As the first female Cabinet minister, she became overnight inspiration to all Emirati women of her generation and young girls alike. She talks of being stopped by parents on the road who want to tell her that she is their daughter's role model.
In an interview given to The National, she also talks about being the geek who wanted to study physics and maths, but then Cabinet ministry happened. Not overnight though, at the time she was offered the opportunity in 2014, she was in Tunisia on a government work trip.
But before she could take up the life-changing crucial role, she had to take her mother's permission. "But I wanted to know whether this is something that she believed is ok," she was quoted as saying in the interview. Remember, any woman was yet to be a Cabinet minister. Little wonder, she took over amidst opposition from some quarters that firmly believed that a woman could not lead a ministry. After all, any woman was yet to. She says, "There were these opinions that are not reflective of the UAE saying, 'How can you have a woman as a minister. It should be always men. But then you had those saying who were saying, 'this is great, this is a great break, moving forward in the Gulf."
Life had other plans, the bigger ones
Rarely do science and technology wizards get into politics. It's a field for those who have been trained from the childhood or with a firm family background. Sheikha Lubna studied maths and physics in secondary school before moving to America in the 70s where she graduated from California State University in 1981 with a bachelor's in computer science. Technology itself was an odd field for women in the 70s. Not just a bright student, she even admits to being a competitive one at that. "Whenever I was second, I would come home and throw tantrums or my books."
First cabinet meeting of the first female minister
Women anywhere will relate to the fact that often raised brows are a part of the reception where a woman is taking charge. Little wonder, she recalls being nervous walking into the first cabinet meeting. However, but then, "You just turn around you, see the smiles and everybody's happy and excited about the decision." The meeting went by, but her sleepless nights had just begun. "I went without sleep for a couple of weeks mainly because this was a merged position---Ministry of Planning with the Ministry of Economy. So you're talking about 300 employees," she further says in the interview, adding, "It was quite scary." Her success in handling the portfolio ensured that by 2008 she was made Minster of Foreign Trade. Cut to 2013 and she became Minister of International Cooperation and Development, followed by Minister of Tolerance.
Extending and supporting women, ever since
Partly thanks to her extending support to other women and setting the right example of women's ability to lead, there are now nine women in the current Cabinet. But she absolutely loves being adulated by young boys and girls. A fact that she is often told my parents. "They say my kids have your photos everywhere or my girl has your photo right next to her bed. That was quite rewarding to me. Young men and women thought that I was a cool minister and the reason for that is that I was a techie. So in their mind this is quite refreshing." A techie woman itself is quite refreshing, a techie woman politician in the Emirate, all the more. For her, even sky is not the limit. "We are going to space so we don't see the sky anymore."
Powerful message to all the girls out there
Being one of the region's most powerful figures, she nabbed the 36th position on Forbes' list of the 100 Most Powerful Women in the World in 2017. Apart from her political roles, she lectures at universities worldwide, advocating equal rights for women and telling them all along to be themselves and fearless. In an interview given to TheirWorld, she asks women to not fear failure. "Do not fear failure, you will learn better from it." A message she sent out time and again. As a keynote speaker, at one of the graduation ceremonies of NYU Abu Dhabi, "Never let anyone say, you can't do what you set your heart on. Do not fear failure, but learn from it. And when you find the glass ceiling, leave the glass shattered around you." She truly practiced personally, all that she preaches today.
